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Cited by 284Digital Education and SocietyEthics and Social Impacts of AIFace recognition and analysis

Facial recognition technology in schools: critical questions and concerns

Open access
Andrejevic, Mark, Selwyn, Neil·2020·Learning, Media and Technology
DOI 10.1080/17439884.2020.1686014
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Abstract

Facial recognition technology is now being introduced across various aspects of public life. This includes the burgeoning integration of facial recognition and facial detection into compulsory schooling to address issues such as campus security, automated registration and student emotion detection. So far, these technologies have largely been seen as routine additions to school systems with already extensive cultures of monitoring and surveillance. While critical commentators are beginning to question the pedagogical limitations of facially driven learning, other this article contends that school-based facial recognition presents a number of other social challenges and concerns that merit specific attention. This includes the likelihood of facial recognition technology altering the nature of schools and schooling along divisive, authoritarian and oppressive lines. Against this background, the article considers whether or not a valid case can ever be made for allowing this form of technology in schools.

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  • In educational environments reliant on video-based analytics, DFER assumes significant importance.

    “In the context of educational environments, particularly those reliant upon video-based analytics, Dynamic Facial Emotion Recognition (DFER) assumes significant importance [23].”

    From Multimodal Dynamic Face Emotion Verification Model based on Priori Prompt Words for Dynamic Facial Expression Recognition (2025) · cites this paper as [23]

    The section “Facial recognition technologies in education” describes growing interest in detecting students’ emotions and engagement from facial expressions, including brief facial actions in online learning. It calls these developments largely experimental; it does not establish that Dynamic Facial Emotion Recognition specifically has significant importance in video-based educational analytics. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Authors
Andrejevic, M., & Selwyn, N.
Affiliations
Monash University (AU)
Corresponding author
Selwyn, Neil
ORCID
Venue
Learning, Media and Technology
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2019-11-05
Volume
45
Issue
2
Pages
115-128
ISSN
  • 1743-9884 (ISSN-L)
  • 1743-9892
DOI
10.1080/17439884.2020.1686014
OpenAlex
W2985936223
Cited by
284
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 75 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 17
FWCI
32.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Learning Media and Technology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Monash University Research Portal (Monash University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Digital Education and Society
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Face recognition and analysis
Keywords
facial recognition technology, schools, school surveillance, campus safety, authoritarianism, oppression, pedagogy, ethics of surveillance

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