Educational platforms: Uses and challenges in the post-digital school. A study in secondary schools of the City of Buenos Aires

Abstract

In this article we present the findings of a study conducted in four schools in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, focusing on teachers’ use of institutional and corporate educational platforms. We examine the interplay within schools between platforms, networks, applications, and other long-standing elements of school infrastructure, such as printed records. By adopting an ethnographic perspective, we aim to capture in a situated way the ever-changing phenomena of the postdigital scenario, which often prove more complex and opaque than some field precedents suggest. In order to understand more thoroughly the practices and evaluations that teachers propose regarding the daily use of digital platforms in schools, we employ a variety of methods. These include observation and class records, interviews with teachers from various disciplines, and walkthrough exercises. Our overarching goal is to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of digital technologies in education and the impact of commercial digital platforms on schools.