The Education Catalyst

Issue 7: Profits, Corporate Influence, and EdTech Control

When Innovation Replaces Instruction

Season 2 of The Education Catalyst examines how corporate influence, technology platforms, and market-driven solutions are reshaping public education.

The EdTech Promise

Over the past decade, technology has been presented as the future of education.

Digital learning platforms promised:

• personalized instruction
• real-time data tracking
• increased student engagement
• expanded access to resources
• individualized learning pathways

Districts invested billions of dollars into devices, platforms, and software ecosystems.

Classrooms across the country adopted:

• one-to-one device programs
• online curriculum platforms
• learning management systems
• automated assessment tools

Technology companies positioned these tools as innovations that would transform learning.

But a critical question remains:

What happens when technology replaces teaching instead of supporting it?

Technology Is Never Neutral

Technology is often framed as a neutral tool.

But in reality, every technology system is designed with specific priorities.

Algorithms determine:

• how content is delivered
• how student progress is measured
• which activities students complete
• how learning pathways are structured

These decisions are made not by teachers, but by software developers and corporate design teams.

When technology platforms shape instruction, the priorities embedded in those systems begin to influence how students learn.

Education researchers have long emphasized that tools can shape behavior, attention, and cognitive engagement (Selwyn, 2016).

When instruction becomes mediated through platforms, the platform itself becomes part of the curriculum.

The Device Dependency Problem

In many districts, classroom technology has shifted from supplemental to central.

Students now spend significant portions of the school day interacting with screens rather than teachers.

Digital tools can support instruction in meaningful ways.

But heavy reliance on devices introduces several challenges:

• reduced face-to-face instructional time
• increased distractions
• fragmented attention spans
• difficulty monitoring authentic engagement

Teachers frequently report spending more time troubleshooting technology issues than delivering instruction.

Meanwhile, students often learn to navigate platforms rather than deeply engage with material.

Technology designed to increase efficiency can sometimes reduce the human interaction that makes learning effective.

Learning Loss Disguised as Innovation

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many districts doubled down on educational technology.

Online platforms were framed as solutions for recovering learning loss.

However, research has shown that extended remote learning contributed to significant academic declines, particularly in mathematics and reading (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2024).

While technology played a critical role during emergency remote instruction, long-term reliance on digital learning environments can present new challenges.

Students benefit from:

• guided instruction
• discussion-based learning
• real-time feedback
• collaborative problem solving

These interactions are difficult to replicate through automated digital platforms.

Innovation can be valuable—but not when it replaces the human relationships that drive learning.

Data, Surveillance, and Student Profiles

EdTech platforms collect enormous amounts of student data.

Learning platforms often track:

• time spent on tasks
• click patterns
• assessment results
• behavioral engagement
• progress metrics

This data is marketed as a way to personalize instruction.

But it also raises important questions about student privacy and long-term data use.

Education data systems increasingly intersect with broader technology ecosystems that include analytics companies and platform providers.

Scholars have warned that data-driven education systems may reshape how students are evaluated, categorized, and monitored (Williamson, 2017).

Technology does not just support learning.

It also records it.

Facts & Statistics

Recent national research highlights the complexity of educational technology use.

• U.S. public schools spent billions expanding educational technology infrastructure during the pandemic (NCES, 2023).
• The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress shows ongoing recovery challenges in reading and mathematics following pandemic-related disruptions (NCES, 2024).
• Research on digital learning environments suggests that excessive screen-based learning can impact attention and cognitive engagement (Selwyn, 2016).

These findings suggest that technology can support education—but it cannot replace the instructional role of teachers.

Real-World Solutions

Technology as a Support Tool

Technology should enhance instruction, not replace it. Teachers must remain central to learning.

Balanced Screen Time

Schools should establish clear expectations for how much of the school day students spend interacting with devices.

Teacher-Led Implementation

Teachers should guide decisions about which platforms actually support classroom learning.

Transparency in Data Collection

Districts should clearly communicate what student data is collected by EdTech platforms and how it is used.

Investing in Instruction, Not Just Devices

Professional development and teacher support should be prioritized alongside technology purchases.

Call to Action

Ask your local school district one simple question:

How much of the school day do students spend learning from teachers—and how much from screens?

Technology can support great instruction.

But when devices begin replacing teachers, the classroom starts to change in ways communities may not fully understand.

Closing

Technology will always be part of modern education.

But the most powerful learning tool has never been a device.

It has always been the relationship between a student and a teacher.

If innovation weakens that relationship, it is not progress.

It is substitution.

And education should never substitute technology for human guidance.

In solidarity,
Lyndsay LaBrier
Merchant Ship Collective

References

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Technology use in U.S. schools. U.S. Department of Education.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). The Nation’s Report Card: Reading and mathematics results.

Selwyn, N. (2016). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. Bloomsbury Academic.

Williamson, B. (2017). Big data in education: The digital future of learning, policy and practice. Sage Publications.