TY - JOUR
T1 - Edtech disruption logic and policy work
T2 - the case of an Israeli edtech unit
AU - Ramiel, Hemy
N1 - Funding Information:
The author wishes to thank Noah Efron, Adam Lefstein, and Roderic Crooks for their generous assistance in developing this article, the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments, and the MindCET team for their trust, warmth, and honesty.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021/1/1
Y1 - 2021/1/1
N2 - This article analyzes the intersection between neo-liberal educational reforms and educational technology in the Israeli education system, through a study of the policy work of an edtech research and development unit in Israel named MindCET, which operates a startup accelerator and other activities and programs. Based on ethnographic research from the first two years of MindCET’s operation (2013–2014) alongside analysis of interviews and publications, I explore the edtech sector discourse and practices expressed by MindCET and the ways in which it attempts to promote educational reforms based on technologies, methods, and reasoning from the techno-business world. The article traces the disruption logic of MindCET–which evolved from disruptive innovation business theory–and how this logic is manifested in MindCET’s activities and educational policy work. I claim that MindCET’s policy work is implemented not by promoting in-system change, but rather through its disruption mode: a set of activities that distribute connections, ideas, possibilities, and experiences that are intended to create conditions and mindsets for willingness for disruptive change in education.
AB - This article analyzes the intersection between neo-liberal educational reforms and educational technology in the Israeli education system, through a study of the policy work of an edtech research and development unit in Israel named MindCET, which operates a startup accelerator and other activities and programs. Based on ethnographic research from the first two years of MindCET’s operation (2013–2014) alongside analysis of interviews and publications, I explore the edtech sector discourse and practices expressed by MindCET and the ways in which it attempts to promote educational reforms based on technologies, methods, and reasoning from the techno-business world. The article traces the disruption logic of MindCET–which evolved from disruptive innovation business theory–and how this logic is manifested in MindCET’s activities and educational policy work. I claim that MindCET’s policy work is implemented not by promoting in-system change, but rather through its disruption mode: a set of activities that distribute connections, ideas, possibilities, and experiences that are intended to create conditions and mindsets for willingness for disruptive change in education.
KW - Edtech
KW - R&D
KW - disruptive innovation
KW - education policy
KW - intermediary organization
KW - neo-liberalism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85080953971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17439884.2020.1737110
DO - 10.1080/17439884.2020.1737110
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85080953971
VL - 46
SP - 20
EP - 32
JO - Learning, Media and Technology
JF - Learning, Media and Technology
SN - 1743-9884
IS - 1
ER -