Is EdTech Good for Education?
Chapter 1: Digital Technology and Educational Change
Chapter 2: Does EdTech Help Democratize Education?
Chapter 3: Does EdTech Enable Individualized Education?
Chapter 4: Can Digital Data Make Education More Predictable?
Chapter 5: EdTech: Is It Making Education More Commercial?
Chapter 6: Digital Technology for 'Good' Education
Translator's Note / Notes

Chapter 1 - Digital Technology and Educational Transformation

The first chapter begins by explaining how digital technology has become a 'background and a natural presence' in the educational field.
The author asks what is being missed in this 'taken for granted'.
The real question is, “What should we teach and why?” but the technological discourse has obscured this question.
There is little clear evidence that edtech has revolutionized learning outcomes over the past few decades.
Rather, while rhetoric like “innovation” and “transformation” abounded, only small changes or limited results were observed in actual classrooms.
The author cautions against such excessive rhetoric, calmly pointing out that technology opens up new possibilities while also revealing new limitations.

Chapter 2 - Can EdTech Help Democratize Education?

The second chapter dissects the promise of ‘democratization.’
Technology is always promoted with the rhetoric of “inclusive participation” and “expanding access.”
However, the author argues that democratization cannot be simply equated with 'accessibility'.
The fundamental question of who has a say and who is excluded remains.
EdTech also sometimes serves as a tool to rationalize the logic of power and the market.
In a reality where massive amounts of money are being invested, the language of democratization risks being reduced to a means of expanding the influence of corporations and policymakers.
Ultimately, the discourse on democratization is nothing more than an empty slogan if it fails to secure the elements of publicness, responsibility, and relationships.

Chapter 3: Does EdTech Enable Individualized Education?

The third chapter focuses on the promise of 'tailoring' or 'individualization'.
On the surface, it may seem like they respect each student's individual level and needs, but in reality, data and algorithms can function as tools to classify and standardize students.
The authors assert that “personalized learning is not a path open to all, but a dangerous promise that creates new inequalities.”
The language of individualization promised democratization, but in reality it only led to the exposing of differences and the raising of walls of exclusion.
Above all, I would like to emphasize again that education always begins with relationships between people.

Chapter 4: Can Digital Data Make Education More Predictable?

The fourth chapter examines the logic of data and predictability.
Edtech companies and policymakers argue that data will reduce the burden on teachers and allow for more accurate predictions of learning paths.
The authors warn that data-driven education can easily become a mechanism for surveillance and control.
While predictions may seem to increase efficiency, they can simultaneously undermine student autonomy and teacher expertise.
Data reshapes education into a manageable entity, but education inherently embodies unpredictability and openness.
Ultimately, data-driven education is meaningless without asking the question of who it is used for and for what purpose.

Chapter 5 - EdTech: Is It Making Education More Commercial?

The fifth chapter deals in earnest with the issues of marketization and commodification.
EdTech is positioning itself not as a tool to support learning, but as a product that creates new markets.
Companies tout "personalized learning," but their real goal is to capitalize on student data and generate profits from it.
Education is inherently a public good, but within the edutech discourse, it is increasingly packaged as a consumer good or investment good.
Schools could transform from learning spaces into testing grounds for business models, with teachers and students becoming consumers and data producers rather than learners.
This shows the danger of subordinating the essence of education to market logic.

Chapter 6 - Digital Technology for 'Good' Education

The final chapter returns to the fundamental question.
The author reaffirms what he emphasizes throughout the book.
The question, “Is technology changing education?” should immediately lead to the deeper question, “What is good education?”
The debates over data, democratization, individualization, and commercialization ultimately converge on the question of reestablishing the public nature of education, human relationships, values, and purpose.
Rather than offering flashy predictions or immediate answers, this book offers readers time for reflection, emphasizing that questions are more important than correct answers.
True hope begins not with technology, but with re-examining the nature of education.