Working with industry to build trust and transparency for schools' peace of mind
EDDS has partnered with EdTech Impact to expand the assessment and evaluation of EdTech products, by encompassing legal requirements such as data privacy and age-appropriate designs through to cybersecurity and algorithmic justice.
Dr Veli Hillman, an expert on EdTech's impact on education and founder of EDDS, said: “EdTech Impact and EDDS share a common desire for better EdTech, better informed schools and parents, and to drive EdTech companies towards ethical practices and responsibility for children’s wellbeing and best interests. We are seeing a growing effort from EdTech companies to build trust among the education community. This partnership is the first step towards building a global consensus around developing an accountable EdTech sector.”
Michael Forshaw, CEO of EdTech Impact, said: “Schools and parents have a right to know if the EdTech they use is compliant and safe, and it shouldn’t be left to them to figure it out. We look forward to integrating EDDS’s certifications into our global EdTech evidence base, and working closely with Dr Hilman’s expert team to support our EdTech community with greater transparency and trust.”
The benefits will be there for both schools and EdTech providers. Schools will be able to see whether the EdTech they use has the certifications required for their own peace of mind. EdTech providers will be able to reassure users that they are complying with local rules and regulations, as well as global good practice.
The full list of certifications for EdTech companies includes:
Cybersecurity: meets appropriate cybersecurity controls that underpin data privacy laws
Ethics: strives for ethical trust, culture of sustainability and responsibility to education and society
Age appropriate and accessibility designs: prioritises basic human rights of customers; meets the best interests of children
Human Resources: organisational ethos that represents clear values, conduct and accountability
End-user feedback: ensures continuous engagement and improvement through customer feedback
Data feedback: implements data privacy by design and adheres to data privacy regulations and conditions
Duty of care: shows duty of care for customers through various means, solutions and oversight
Algorithmic justice: allows transparency and external scrutiny, demonstrates data quality and governance
Know the student: has multi-modal provisions to address student feedback, complaints, and provides redress
Pedagogy: provides clear values to teaching and learning, to equity, and quality education.
EDDSs and EdTech Impact are putting together an initial cohort of EdTech products to be evaluated. EdTech companies can apply for evaluation on one, two, any or all of these criteria, dependent on their stage of maturity.
The evaluation is dynamic, systematic, and includes external expert and confidential reviews, support, while prioritising students' best interests and schools needs and requirements.
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