In an era of “big data,” various forms of surveillance and tracking are now being integrated into typically mundane aspects of the student experience. Let’s take a look at a few national trends.
+ At the University of Arizona, student ID cards (CatCards) are used to swipe into buildings, purchase meals, and engage with other functions of college life. Through the university’s Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics, the data from these interactions is collected and used to provide insight on issues like freshman retention rates. Prof. Sudha Ram reflects that, “It’s really not designed to track their social interactions, but you can, because you have a timestamp and location information.”
+ Researchers from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and University of Wisconsin-Madison found “a widespread lack of transparency and inconsistent privacy and security practices,” by companies dealing in educational technology (EdTech).
+ The 2018 State of EdTech Privacy Report similarly found a wide range of practices by companies in the field. One consistent theme was non-transparency – the practice of limiting or concealing the use of user data, and obfuscating the full range of use within Terms of Service or other contractual agreements.
Conversations around educational privacy rights are evolving by the day, and are worth keeping a close eye on, whether as a faculty member, student, or college employee.
News from the City Tech Library
