The platformization of Public Education: the construction of public policy through networks of visible and invisible actors

Abstract

The Platformization of Education has become a relevant topic, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, when the digital platforms became common in education. To deal with the emergency, state departments and higher education institutions encouraged the adoption of digital information and communication technologies (ICT), which are incorporated into platform systems such as Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft 365 Education. Previous research has mapped the scale of this phenomenon and identified the actions of governmental, non-governmental and private organizations in this process. However, little is known about how these groups influence governments in agreements and partnerships, which culminate in the contracting of software and technological infrastructure services developed by big tech. This research identified the third sector organizations and other agents who played crucial roles in promoting collaboration agreements, partnership terms, and other legal devices between Google and the State Education Department of Santa Catarina. With a qualitative approach and a methodological focus on Case Studies and Document Analysis, this study seeks to reveal the dynamics and strategies used by the different players who determined educational policies aimed at integrating digital technologies into the basic education curriculum and contracting information services and software by state departments, providing a critical view of the implications of this dynamic for public education in the country.