Using technology in education can bring about great changes, but it also has its downsides. It can be good, but it can also cause problems. Unfortunately, schools and colleges often start using new technologies without really thinking about what could go wrong and who might be hurt by them. That’s why it’s really important to be careful and think hard when we design learning activities or decide to use new educational tools. We need to look closely at how these tools might cause problems and be ready to fix those issues.

 

Chegg is an American education technology company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The primary goal of Chegg is to provide online academic support and resources to help students succeed in their studies. Chegg aims to assist students in achieving academic success by offering comprehensive education support services. However, when utilizing such online academic support services, students and educational institutions should exercise caution to ensure adherence to academic integrity and institutional regulations.

 

Next, I will focus on answering some questions based on privacy presented by Stommel and Morris.

1. Who owns the tool? What is the name of the company, the CEO?

A: Owner: Chegg Inc.
CEO: Dan Rosensweig

2. What are their politics?

A: Chegg provides a variety of services and tools, aimed at supporting students in achieving success throughout their academic careers

3. What does it actually do?

A: They do lots of things related to education, like e-textbook rentals, online academic tutoring, homework help, and exam preparation, and provide resources related to professional development and career planning, including internship information and career advice.

4. What data are we required to provide in order to use the tool (login, e-mail, birthdate, etc.)?

A: You need to sign up with your account (google, Microsoft, or your own e-mail ) and login with it. It doesn`t need to have your birthdate or other privacy info.

5. What flexibility do we have to be anonymous, or to protect our data? Where is data housed; who owns the data?

A: When using any feature of Chegg, you have the option to conceal your username.

6. What are the implications for in-class use?

A: Some assignments given in class can be found on Chegg, including answers, but are intended only for reference.

7. Will others be able to use/copy/own our work there?

A: Some students have received warnings or disciplinary actions due to similarities between their answers and those found on Chegg, especially in subjects like mathematics and physics

8. Does the tool attempt to dictate our pedagogies?

A: In the context of Chegg or any educational tool, it’s important to consider how the tool shapes or directs the teaching and learning processes. Whether the tool dictates pedagogies can depend on how instructors and students choose to use it.

9. How is its design pedagogical? Or exactly not pedagogical?

A: Chegg can be helpful for learning, but it depends on how people use it. If students and teachers use it the right way, it can support education. But if it’s used in a way that doesn’t help with learning, then it might not be as effective. It’s all about how people decide to use the tools on Chegg.

10. Does the tool offer a way that “learning can most deeply and intimately begin”?

A: Chegg might help learners learn deeply, but it really depends on how you use it. If you use it well, it could be a great tool for learning. But if learners just look for quick answers without really trying to understand,                          it might not help learners learn deeply. It’s all about how learners use Chegg as part of their overall way of learning.

 

I chose the activity about questioning educational technology because I think it’s really important to think carefully about the tools we use for learning. My goal was to understand how technology, like Chegg, might affect our privacy and the way we learn. By looking into things like who owns the data, how it’s used, and how it influences teaching methods, I saw that technology in education is not just good or bad—it’s a bit of both.

Chegg can be helpful for learning, but it also brings up issues like keeping things fair and honest in our studies. This activity taught me that using technology for learning is a bit like a double-edged sword—it can be really useful, but we need to be careful to use it in the right way. Overall, I realized that when it comes to educational tech tools, we should be smart and think about them carefully before using them in our learning.