Hernández-Leo, D., Ginoyan, K. (2025) Supporting teachers' value-sensitive reflections on the cost–benefit dynamics of technology in educational practices, British Journal of Educational Technology, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13592

Abstract

This paper explores the application of a benefits versus costs reflection approach within non-university teaching environments, grounded in the principles of Value-Sensitive Design. Aimed at integrating human values systematically into the adoption of digital educational tools, this study involved 136 in-service school teachers across various workshops in Catalonia. Through the use of a structured customisable worksheet, educators critically self-evaluated their feelings about both the benefits and costs associated with the use of digital technologies in their teaching practices. The study found that the approach was meaningful to the teachers, who were able to adapt the use of the workshop to their cases. The positive reception by teachers suggests not only a satisfactory level of usability and utility of the approach but also their agreement with the need to integrate related strategies in their training, learning design and community debate processes.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• The integration of digital tools in education has been widely recognised for its potential to enhance learning experiences, but it also raises significant ethical and practical concerns.
• Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) has been established as a framework that systematically integrates human values into the technology design process, particularly in human-computer interaction fields.

What this paper adds

• This paper shows the practical application of VSD in the form of a benefits versus costs reflection approach within non-university educational settings, providing new insights into perceived usefulness and preferences for adaptation.
• It illustrates how educators can use a VSD approach to critically evaluate digital tools, leading to processes of enhanced understanding and informed community debate.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• The findings advocate for the inclusion of VSD-based reflective practices in teacher training programs to enhance educators' ability to critically assess and integrate technology in education.
• Teachers value initiatives that implement reflective, participation-oriented decision-making strategies aiming to maximise benefits and minimise potential harms when selecting technological tools that influence the design of educational settings.