In the Era of Remote Learning, It’s Time for Colleges to Update Privacy Practices – Campus Technology
As the pandemic continues, what’s happening to all the data being collected by the various programs being used by colleges and universities to deliver remote learning? That’s a question explored in a new report published by think tank New America.
As “Privacy Considerations in Higher Education Online Learning” pointed out, all of the various programs in use right now generate repositories of student data. While institutions may use the data for analytical purposes, its existence also offers the potential for misuse. For example, what happens to the data accumulated by learning management systems when an LMS company changes hands? Is it beholden to the contractual obligations of the original company?
Or what about the risks created when students “invite” others into their homes during virtual video classes? As author Chris Sadler pointed out, “A great number of personal details can often be gleaned through the presence of other people, personal objects, photographs and calendars. Without proper security and privacy controls, other parties could potentially access these recordings.” International students from countries with censorship laws could “face prosecution for comments” they make in their classes. Or undocumented immigrants could “face immediate threats” as a result of the information collected during their online classes.