Algorithmic Fairness in Education
It tackles algorithmic bias in education, offering guidance for stakeholders, but is incremental as it synthesizes existing literature without new empirical results.
The paper addresses fairness concerns in data-driven predictive models used in education by identifying sources of bias in algorithmic systems and reviewing fairness notions, providing recommendations for policy and development.
Data-driven predictive models are increasingly used in education to support students, instructors, and administrators. However, there are concerns about the fairness of the predictions and uses of these algorithmic systems. In this introduction to algorithmic fairness in education, we draw parallels to prior literature on educational access, bias, and discrimination, and we examine core components of algorithmic systems (measurement, model learning, and action) to identify sources of bias and discrimination in the process of developing and deploying these systems. Statistical, similarity-based, and causal notions of fairness are reviewed and contrasted in the way they apply in educational contexts. Recommendations for policy makers and developers of educational technology offer guidance for how to promote algorithmic fairness in education.