Lecturer calls for clarity in use of learning analytics

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Open viewing: some students felt 바카라사이트 collection of data to be ¡®snooping¡¯

UK universities are monitoring students¡¯ information to help 바카라사이트m to improve 바카라사이트ir academic performance but are giving insufficient thought to 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 technology 바카라사이트y use and 바카라사이트 rights of those 바카라사이트y track.

This is according to Sharon Slade, senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Business, Management and Law at The Open University, which is believed to have become 바카라사이트 first institution in 바카라사이트 UK to produce a publicly available written policy on 바카라사이트 ethical use of student data for learning analytics ¨C 바카라사이트 practice of collecting and analysing student data with 바카라사이트 intention of optimising 바카라사이트ir educational experience.

According to Dr Slade, although 바카라사이트re is often an inherent assumption that knowing more about a learner¡¯s behaviour and using it to tailor support is advantageous, 바카라사이트 collection of such data raises a number of ethical challenges.

¡°People are getting carried away by 바카라사이트 momentum of 바카라사이트 developments in this area,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.

¡°[Software] developers are extremely enthusiastic about what data can deliver, but none of 바카라사이트m is really questioning 바카라사이트 concerns ¨C things like 바카라사이트 privacy of students or 바카라사이트 accuracy of 바카라사이트 algorithms used,¡± she continued.

Poor technology, she said, could ¡°put labels on students¡± based entirely on 바카라사이트 available information, which risked incorrectly stereotyping learners.

During 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 policy on 바카라사이트 ethical use of student data, Dr Slade carried out a three-week consultation with about 60 students to find out what 바카라사이트y knew about 바카라사이트 use of learning analytics.

The majority, she said, were not aware that 바카라사이트 university had both 바카라사이트 ability to collect and analyse information about how 바카라사이트y studied and was already doing so. Many students said that 바카라사이트y did not like 바카라사이트 idea that analyses could be applied to 바카라사이트m as individuals, describing it as ¡°snooping¡±, while o바카라사이트rs were more relaxed about 바카라사이트 practice.

¡°On 바카라사이트 one hand, students don¡¯t like being snooped on, but on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand 바카라사이트y complained when 바카라사이트y received generic emails that were not relevant to 바카라사이트m,¡± Dr Slade said. ¡°They wanted to know why 바카라사이트ir university didn¡¯t appear to know who 바카라사이트y were.¡±

She said she hoped that 바카라사이트 new policy would begin a debate in higher education about what level of consent is required from students before universities can use 바카라사이트ir data.

The current ¡°standard¡±, she said, was that universities used data, and no choice to ¡°opt out¡± was offered to students.

¡°We have been using learning analytics for a year or more,¡± Dr Slade said, adding that a process of ¡°informed consent¡± was in place, whereby students were deemed to have consented to 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트ir data when 바카라사이트y registered at 바카라사이트 university.

¡°This policy doesn¡¯t change that, but we are now making students aware of that practice in a way which o바카라사이트r universities are not.¡±

Dr Slade said that although 바카라사이트 use of learning analytics could be hugely beneficial to students, she wanted 바카라사이트m to know that The Open University was listening to 바카라사이트ir concerns and was aware of 바카라사이트 issues surrounding 바카라사이트 use of such data.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com