The 2023 DEFI series, Digital and the Future of Dialogue, begans with a look at novel uses of digital technology in education to serve communities, or community members, who are often left behind by mainstream EdTech approaches. Our panellists discussed topics such as:
- The use of low bandwidth platforms in rural areas where access to data is limited by infrastructure and cost
- Technological approaches to serving learners with additional needs
- Strategies that address the historical biases and limitations of assessment
- Dialogic platforms that enhance opportunities for cross-cultural understanding and peacebuilding
The session was held live on 26 January 2023 at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and streamed via Zoom.
Panellists
Dr Farah Ahmed
Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Fac. of Ed., Univ. of Cambridge
Prof Bryan Maddox
Research Director, Digital Assessment Futures, DEFI
Dr Kevin Martin
Centre Manager, DEFI
Moderator
Dr Kevin Martin
Centre Manager, DEFI
About the panellists
Dr Farah Ahmed
Farah Ahmed is Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and Research Fellow at Hughes Hall College. She co-convenes the ‘Cultural, religious and philosophical traditions in educational dialogue’ strand of the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research group. Her current project is: Rethinking Islamic education for British Muslim children: a philosophical investigation of dialogue in Islamic educational theory and an empirical study trialling dialogic pedagogy in UK madrasahs (supplementary schools).
Farah has published widely on holistic Islamic educational approaches and is founder and Director of Education at Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, where she oversees two independent schools and works on developing research informed curricular resources and teacher professional development. She is also Founding Fellow and Council Member of the Chartered College of Teaching, UK.
Isaac Kinyanjui
Prof Bryan Maddox
Presentation Title
Presentation Overview
In this presentation Bryan will describe the significant opportunities for digital educational assessment platforms to improve access for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and through digital log data, to provide assessment organizations with in-depth evidence about the performance and test taker experiences (TTX) of disabled people. He will argue that transitions to digital assessment and examinations should not seek to establish ‘mode equivalence’ with paper based tests. Instead, they should create improved, more inclusive assessments that narrow the performance gap between students with and without SEND conditions.
Takeaways
Participants in this session will gain clear ideas about how digitisation in assessments will benefit students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Dr Kevin Martin
About Kevin
Kevin Martin is the centre manager at DEFI, responsible for strategic planning, financial management, and day-to-day operations. His professional background lies at the intersection of social innovation and education, and he has spent much of the last 20 years working on related initiatives in East Africa.
Kevin recently earned his PhD from the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, with research interests in dialogic education, EdTech, and international development. Prior to undertaking his doctoral research, he was an Assistant Professor of Business Administration and an Associate Dean at New England College.
