Privacy in Digital Learning
All students deserve privacy, however, with digital learning, this can be tricky. Many digital learning platforms collect information, thus invading privacy. We must find a happy balance that protects students, while still enabling them to learn online. To find this happy balance, certain measures must be taken, such as keeping collected information anonymous and being transparent with users.
Privacy vs. Educational Needs
| Situation/Tool | Educational Need | Privacy Concern | Balanced Approach to protect student privacy while also meeting educational goal |
| Assessments | Evaluate students progress | Data dollection | Whenever possible anonymize data and ensure data is secured |
| Personalized learning | To provide personalized learning | Personal data collection | Ensure data is secured and inform guardians, and students if appropriate |
| Intervention methods | To offer students with appropriate support | Personal data collection | Ensure data is secured and inform guardians, and students if appropriate. Make sure collected data is only used for the intended purpose. |
| Health and Safety | To ensure student health and safety | Personal data collection | Ensure data is secured and inform guardians, and students if appropriate. Make sure collected data is only used for the intended purpose. |
| Surveillance | To monitor the safety for students | Watching and recording students personal lives | Ensure footage is secured and only used for the intended purpose, and keep private areas private with no surveillance, such as bathrooms. |
Universal Design for Learning
The Universal Design for Learning refers to a set of guidelines developed by CAST, a multifaceted organization. There are three main principles:
- Multiple Means of Engagement
- This principle recognizes the many ways of learning as each learner has a learning approach that motivates them best to learn. This could be through play, through collaboration, through independent work, etc.
- Multiple Means of Representation
- This principle recognizes the many ways that content and information are distributed, such as through readings, videos, etc. Every learning has a preferred method due to needs and preferences.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression
- This principle recognizes the many ways learners can demonstrate their learning, such as through writing, oral speech, art, etc. As with engagement and representation, learners also have a preference for showcasing their knowledge.
These guidelines were created to help students with learning disabilities, but as society started to implement these guidelines, other people were also benefiting. Michael Nesmith goes further into this in his TEDTalk, “Why We Need Universal Design.”
Universal Design can be used in digital learning by giving students a lot of options concerning how they learn and present their newfound knowledge. This course is a good example of what universal design can look like. We are provided with different resources to look at, including papers, videos, and podcasts. We are even encouraged to do our own research and link the resources we used in our blogs, which I have done above. I like videos best as I find the visual with the audio captures my attention best, but I know this is not the case for everyone. Next, this course gives us a lot of freedom with how we show our learning. We must make weekly blog posts, however, we are encouraged to personalize these posts. Giving students more choices will ensure all students have access to education and feel included. If one resource is not working for them, they can check out another, or if one method of representation does not work for a student, they can choose another as well.
Ethics and Digital Tools in Education
Educators and institutions must keep in mind the following ethical considerations when choosing and using digital tools in education:
- Personal information should not be collected without consent from a guardian and learner, if appropriate.
- Collected information should be private, anonymous, and obtained with consent from a guardian and learner, if appropriate.
- False information should not be displayed or promoted
- All users should be treated fairly and no one is excluded. This means that users are not grouped by age, race, or sex or assessed differently. Additionally, tools are accessible to all students, aligning with the UDL guidelines.
Leave a Reply