{"id":60359,"date":"2021-11-22T02:50:25","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T07:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=60359"},"modified":"2021-11-29T22:28:01","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T03:28:01","slug":"algorithms-can-decide-your-marks-your-work-prospects-and-your-financial-security-how-do-you-know-theyre-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/algorithms-can-decide-your-marks-your-work-prospects-and-your-financial-security-how-do-you-know-theyre-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Algorithms can decide your marks, your work prospects and your financial security. How do you know they\u2019re fair?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nAlgorithms are becoming commonplace. They can determine employment prospects,\u00a0financial security<\/a>\u00a0and more. The use of algorithms can be controversial \u2013 for example,\u00a0robodebt<\/a>, as the Australian government\u2019s flawed online welfare compliance system came to be known.<\/p>\n

Algorithms are increasingly being used to make decisions that have a lasting impact on our current and future lives.<\/p>\n

Some of the greatest impacts of algorithmic decision-making are in education. If you have anything to do with an Australian school or a university, at some stage an algorithm will make a decision that matters for you.<\/p>\n

So what sort of decisions might involve algorithms? Some decisions will involve the next question for school students to answer on a test, such as the\u00a0online provision of NAPLAN<\/a>. Some algorithms support\u00a0human decision-making in universities<\/a>, such as identifying students at risk of failing a subject. Others take the human out of the loop, like some forms of\u00a0online exam supervision<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How do algorithms work?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Despite their pervasive impacts on our lives, it is often difficult to understand how algorithms work, why they have been designed, and why they are used. As algorithms become a key part of decision-making in education \u2013 and many other aspects of our lives \u2013 people need to know two things:<\/p>\n

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  1. how algorithms work<\/li>\n
  2. the kinds of trade-offs that are made in decision-making using algorithms.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In research to explore these two issues, we developed\u00a0an algorithm game<\/a>\u00a0using participatory methodologies to involve diverse stakeholders in the research. The process becomes a form of collective experimentation to encourage new perspectives and insights into an issue.<\/p>\n

    Our algorithm game is based on the\u00a0UK exam controversy<\/a>\u00a0in 2020. During COVID-19 lockdowns, an\u00a0algorithm was used to determine grades<\/a>\u00a0for students wishing to attend university. The algorithm predicted grades for some students that were far lower than expected. In the face of protests, the algorithm was eventually scrapped.
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    Ludicrous blame game: blame the human not the algorithm – \u00ab PM Boris Johnson blames 'mutant algorithm' for UK high school exam fiasco \u00bb https:\/\/t.co\/6z49scUYHd<\/a> cc @zeynep<\/a> @soizicpenicaud<\/a> @HenriVerdier<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Martin Tisn\u00e9 (@martintisne) August 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n