ALGORIthM LITERACY
ALGORITHM LITERACY IN TEACHER EDUCATION
Internet algorithms are automated mathematical processes that use different types of data to make decisions and recommendations. Increasingly, algorithms shape nearly every aspect of our daily lives (Kitchin, 2017). For example, algorithms are used in medicine to predict the likelihood that individuals will develop certain diseases (Miotto et al., 2016) and are used by some employers as a means of determining which job applicants should be contacted for an interview (Bogen, 2019). In education, algorithms have been used to determine teacher promotion and pay (Kantayya, 2020), predict student grades (Gkontzis et al., 2018), and to determine student awards for higher education funding based on willingness to pay (Engler, 2021). Algorithms also have a profound but typically imperceptible impact on our daily lives, as nearly every action that takes place on the internet is shaped by algorithmic decision-making (Kitchen, 2017).
For teachers, algorithm literacy is crucial for several reasons additional to those explained above. First, teachers benefit from understanding the ways in which algorithms are used in the determination of educational policies that affect their teaching practice and employment status. Second, teachers must be aware of the ways in which they are exposing themselves and their students to the influence of algorithms when they use internet technologies as part of their planning and instruction. Third, to foster “students’ positive personal identity, mental and physical well-being, [and] social and personal responsibility” (BC Teachers’ Council, 2019), teachers must develop their own and their students’ algorithm literacy capacities. It is especially vital for early career teachers to possess these skills in order to meet the demands of their profession in the short- and long-term. The findings from this study will mark the beginning of an exploration of teacher candidates’ ICT and algorithm literacy along with possible connections between these types of literacy and learner agency and teacher self-efficacy.
To what extent do teacher candidates possess knowledge about and awareness of internet algorithms?
Learner Agency in the Human-Algorithm Relationship
How is algorithm literacy defined, according to the extant literature?
To exercise agency in the human-algorithm relationship, one must possess algorithm literacy (also called algorithmic literacy). Algorithmic literacy can be defined as awareness of algorithm use, knowledge about algorithms, ability to evaluate algorithms critically, and ability to apply coping behaviours when engaging with algorithmic systems (Dogruel et al., 2021). The body of scholarly literature concerning algorithm literacy is rapidly growing. A Google Scholar search conducted on April 19, 2022, using the search string (“algorithm literacy” OR “algorithmic literacy”) yielded 545 results, 430 of which have been published since the year 2018. As recent news coverage makes clear (e.g., Dragicevic, 2022; Hao, 2022), there is a crucial need for algorithm literacy in our daily lives.
This project will use a slightly modified PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol, a widely used and accepted framework for conducting a systematic literature review. (Moher et al., 2009). The purpose of this protocol is to “allow for planning and documentation of review methods, … guard against arbitrary decision making, … enable readers to assess for the presence of selective reporting against completed reviews, and … reduce duplication of efforts and potentially prompt collaboration” (Shamseer et al., 2015, p. 1). We are undertaking a systematic literature review with the goal of better understanding the present state of algorithm literacy research and synthesizing practical implications, with a focus on human agency in the human-algorithm relationship.
Jillianne Code, PhD
Rachel Moylan
Made possible with funding from
Publications
2024
Moylan, R; Code, J
Algorithmic futures: An analysis of teacher professional digital competence frameworks through an algorithm literacy lens Journal Article Forthcoming
In: Teachers and Teaching, pp. 19, Forthcoming.
@article{Moylan2023c,
title = {Algorithmic futures: An analysis of teacher professional digital competence frameworks through an algorithm literacy lens},
author = {R Moylan and J Code},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2023.2263732},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2023-10-10},
journal = {Teachers and Teaching},
pages = {19},
abstract = {Algorithmic systems shape every aspect of our daily lives and impact our perceptions of the world. The ubiquity and profound impact of algorithms mean that algorithm literacy – awareness and knowledge of algorithm use, and the ability to evaluate algorithms critically and exercise agency when engaging with algorithmic systems – is a vital competence for navigating life in the 21st century. Professional digital competence (PDC) frameworks for teachers include technological, pedagogical, and social competence areas and are intended to illustrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for digitally competent teachers. Using document analysis, we undertook a systematised review and evaluation of selected PDC frameworks through the lens of algorithm literacy. This analysis demonstrated that although some aspects of algorithm literacy could be inferred within the PDC frameworks analysed, there is a need for further explicit integration. Just as the DigComp framework for citizens has been updated to recognise the vital importance of understanding algorithmic systems' impact, so should PDC frameworks be revised. Recommendations are provided for incorporating understandings of algorithmic governance and bias and ensuring digital Bildung development in PDC frameworks. Implications for teacher education programs are also discussed.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2023
Moylan, R.; Code, J.
“There is so much I don’t know!”: Future directions for algorithm literacy in teacher education Proceedings Article
In: 2023.
@inproceedings{moylan_there_2023b,
title = {“There is so much I don’t know!”: Future directions for algorithm literacy in teacher education},
author = {R. Moylan and J. Code},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-07-01},
urldate = {2023-07-01},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Samokishyn, M; Moylan, R
Algorithm Literacy in the age of ChatGPT Conference
Association of College and Research Librarians Conference Pittsburgh, PA and virtual, 2023.
@conference{Samokishyn2023,
title = {Algorithm Literacy in the age of ChatGPT},
author = {M Samokishyn and R Moylan
},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-03-16},
urldate = {2023-03-16},
address = {Pittsburgh, PA and virtual},
organization = {Association of College and Research Librarians Conference},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {conference}
}
Moylan, R
Close Encounters: A Phenomenological Exploration With Technological Objects Presentation Forthcoming
03.03.2023.
@misc{Moylan2023b,
title = {Close Encounters: A Phenomenological Exploration With Technological Objects},
author = {R Moylan},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-03-03},
urldate = {2023-03-03},
institution = {University of British Columbia},
organization = {ISGP Student Seminar Series},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {presentation}
}
2022
Moylan, R; Code, J; Forde, K
Learner agency and algorithm literacy Workshop
Science World STEAM Days of Summer 2022.
@workshop{Moylan2022,
title = {Learner agency and algorithm literacy},
author = {R Moylan and J Code and K Forde},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-25},
organization = {Science World STEAM Days of Summer},
abstract = {Moylan, R., Code., J. & Forde, K. (2022, August). Learner agency and algorithm literacy [Invited presentation]. Science World STEAM Days of Summer, Vancouver, BC.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {workshop}
}
Moylan, R; Code, J; Forde, K
Learner agency and algorithm literacy Workshop
Science World STEAM Days of Summer 2022.
@workshop{Moylan2022b,
title = {Learner agency and algorithm literacy},
author = {R Moylan and J Code and K Forde},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-25},
organization = {Science World STEAM Days of Summer},
abstract = {Moylan, R., Code., J. & Forde, K. (2022, August). Learner agency and algorithm literacy [Invited presentation]. Science World STEAM Days of Summer, Vancouver, BC.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {workshop}
}