Parents searching for educational apps are increasingly relying on labels, badges and marketing claims to decide what’s best for their children. But new research from Deakin University warns these tactics can create the appearance of educational quality without necessarily demonstrating that an app improves learning.
The research, led by Deakin education researcher Dr Chris Zomer, introduces the concept of ‘eduwashing’ – the marketing strategies used to give children’s apps educational legitimacy by drawing on the language, symbols and authority of education.
Published in Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, the study found app developers use a range of techniques to position their products as educational, making it increasingly difficult for parents and educators to distinguish between persuasive marketing and genuine evidence of learning value.
Dr Zomer, a research fellow with the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child at Deakin, said parents face a ‘dazzling number of edutainment apps’ promising to help children develop build literacy, numeracy and creativity skills while having fun.
“Many apps present themselves as educational, but there is very little independent oversight of what those claims actually mean. Our research isn’t asking whether one particular app is good or bad. Instead, we examined how educational credibility is constructed and marketed to parents.” Dr Chris Zomer, Associate Research Fellow, School of Education
Three common ‘eduwashing’ strategies
Citing popular children’s app Lingokids as an example, the researchers identified three common strategies they describe as eduwashing:
- The first, edubranding, involves using educational buzzwords such as STEM, social-emotional learning and school readiness, or highlighting partnerships with well-known educational organisations to create an impression of academic credibility.
- The second, educlaiming, sees developers promote products as “research-backed”, “proven” or “evidence-based”, often drawing on commissioned research whose findings may be more nuanced than the marketing suggests.
- The third, educertifying, involves using awards, seals, certifications and rankings (often paid for by the companies) that imply educational excellence and help products stand out in a crowded marketplace.
To understand how educators and parents select edtech products, the researchers also conducted workshops. Many participants said they trusted certifications, university affiliations and claims that apps were evidence-based, even when they knew little about how those endorsements had been awarded or what they actually assessed.
A second, related study by Dr Zomer and Dr Niels Kerssens from Utrecht University examined Google’s Teacher Approved program, arguing it provides another example of how educational legitimacy is created within digital marketplaces.
The study, published in the Digital Education Review, found the ‘Teacher approved’ badge may give the impression that an app has educational value, despite the program primarily assessing factors such as age appropriateness, user experience and safety rather than independently evaluating educational effectiveness.
The research team found some apps with a ‘Teacher Approved’ badge were labelled by the app developer as ‘entertainment’ rather than ‘educational’.
For example, Paw Patrol Rescue World was ‘Teacher Approved’, despite being labelled as ‘action-adventure’ by the developer.
‘Badges such as Google Teacher Approved, university logos or references to scientific research all communicate trust,’ Dr Zomer said.
‘The challenge is that these signals can be interpreted as proof that an app is educational, even though this might not necessarily be the case.’
Deakin’s Professor Julian Sefton-Green, an internationally-recognised education and digital technology expert, said this growing ecosystem of educational branding has emerged as children’s learning increasingly moves onto commercial digital platforms, where developers compete for visibility in app stores and for the attention of parents.
He said that rather than discouraging families from using educational technology, the researchers hope the findings encourage greater transparency and more independent evaluation of children’s digital products.
“As educational technology becomes an increasingly important part of children’s lives, parents and educators need trustworthy, independent information to help them make informed decisions. Our research highlights the need to look beyond marketing claims and ask what evidence actually exists that an app supports children’s learning.” Professor Julian Sefton-Greene, Professor of New Media Education
The researchers believe the concept of ‘eduwashing’ has implications well beyond children’s apps and could help inform future discussions about the marketing of education technologies, including emerging artificial intelligence tools for schools.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child is a world-first research centre dedicated to creating positive digital childhoods for Australian children. As a founding university partner, Deakin University leads a major research node within the Centre, with more than 30 researchers investigating how young children and families experience digital technologies and translating this evidence into practical resources for parents, carers and educators.
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