View in EDS

Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education
Language: English
Authors: Faith Boninger, T. Philip Nichols, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)
Source: National Education Policy Center. 2025.
Availability: National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 60
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Tests/Questionnaires
Descriptors: Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Public Education, Artificial Intelligence, Public Policy, Educational Policy, Computer Security, Information Security, Privacy, Commercialization, Data Use, Educational Needs, Learning Management Systems, Learning Analytics
Abstract: Digital educational platforms have become ubiquitous in American classrooms, with tools like Google Workspace for Education, Kahoot!, Zearn, Khan Academy, and many others now structuring curriculum, instruction, collaboration, assessment, and communication. This policy brief highlights how these platforms are not neutral "tools" but complex ecosystems shaped by technical architectures, commercial imperatives, and political-economic interests. While educators tend to view them as aids for instruction, platforms extract and monetize data, linking schools into broader markets of advertisers and data brokers. For educators and policymakers, this reality calls for an ecological perspective that asks not only how platforms function in classrooms but also whose interests they serve, what values they embed, and whether nondigital means might better achieve educational goals. To guard against overreliance on industry marketing and the amplified risks of emerging AI systems, schools must articulate their own needs and values first, adopt platforms selectively, and seek policy safeguards that protect their educational mission. [This report was created with National Education Policy Center, Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU).]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677352
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED677352
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED677352
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Faith+Boninger%22">Faith Boninger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22T%2E+Philip+Nichols%22">T. Philip Nichols</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Colorado+at+Boulder%2C+National+Education+Policy+Center+%28NEPC%29%22">University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Education+Policy+Center%22"><i>National Education Policy Center</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 60
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Descriptive<br />Tests/Questionnaires
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Uses+in+Education%22">Technology Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Technology%22">Educational Technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Education%22">Public Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Artificial+Intelligence%22">Artificial Intelligence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Policy%22">Public Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Security%22">Computer Security</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Information+Security%22">Information Security</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Privacy%22">Privacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Commercialization%22">Commercialization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+Use%22">Data Use</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Needs%22">Educational Needs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Management+Systems%22">Learning Management Systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Analytics%22">Learning Analytics</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Digital educational platforms have become ubiquitous in American classrooms, with tools like Google Workspace for Education, Kahoot!, Zearn, Khan Academy, and many others now structuring curriculum, instruction, collaboration, assessment, and communication. This policy brief highlights how these platforms are not neutral "tools" but complex ecosystems shaped by technical architectures, commercial imperatives, and political-economic interests. While educators tend to view them as aids for instruction, platforms extract and monetize data, linking schools into broader markets of advertisers and data brokers. For educators and policymakers, this reality calls for an ecological perspective that asks not only how platforms function in classrooms but also whose interests they serve, what values they embed, and whether nondigital means might better achieve educational goals. To guard against overreliance on industry marketing and the amplified risks of emerging AI systems, schools must articulate their own needs and values first, adopt platforms selectively, and seek policy safeguards that protect their educational mission. [This report was created with National Education Policy Center, Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU).]
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED677352
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED677352
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 60
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Technology Uses in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Artificial Intelligence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer Security
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Information Security
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Privacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Commercialization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data Use
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Needs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Management Systems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Analytics
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC)
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Faith Boninger
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: T. Philip Nichols
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: National Education Policy Center
              Type: main
ResultId 1