In a 2016 conference paper discussing ethical use of student data I noted that there was a ‘disconnect between national and international perspectives of the importance of institutional policy and guidelines regarding ethical use of student data, and the perceptions of academics about these guidelines’ (Jones, 2016, p300). I suggested that one strategy for bridging this divide was for conversations to be held both within and between institutions with an aim of informing and enhancing learning and teaching practice and culture. This post provides an overview of some of the conversations that have occurred in this area in the last 12 months in Australasia, particularly through the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE).

First though, my interpretation of the phrase ‘ethical use of student data’. To me, and I am sure many others, this is much more than applying for, and being granted, clearance from your institution’s Human Research Ethics Committee. Certainly, this is an important step if you are intending to disseminate your findings as research and publish, and is sometimes a step that academic staff can overlook if research in their discipline does not normally involve ethics approval, or they do not consider this as they are not directly researching students, just their data. Ethical use also considers:

• Protection of student privacy
• Conversations with students regarding reasons for collection and use of data
• Ensuring that data is used for informing and enhancing practice and the student experience
• Obtaining consent from students; or, at least, informing students how and why their data will be used

The ability for students to ‘opt out’ of any data collection is a sensitive issue as there are some circumstances, for example, research into online discussion forums where this could adversely affect the research if students were given this option. This is just one aspect that needs further conversations and development of policy and guidelines.

ASCILITE is considered a leading organisation in the southern hemisphere for staff working in tertiary education in ‘fields associated with enhancing learning and teaching through the pedagogical use of technologies’ (ASCILITE, 2014) and as such is well placed to be leading the cross-institutional conversation on ethical use of student data. In 2017 some of the ways these conversations were facilitated included

• Learning Analytics Special Interest Group ran a series of webinars with one facilitated by Paul Prinsloo having the topic of Responsible Learning Analytics: A Tentative Proposal
• The 2017 ASCILITE Conference included an Exploratory Panel Session discussing ‘emerging ethical, legal, educational, and technological issues surrounding the collection and use of student data by universities, and the impact these strategies have on student trust and privacy.’
• The Learning Analytics SIG also held a panel session discussing scenarios for Utopian/Dystopian future in regards to Learning Analytics

However, there was only one submitted paper with reference to ethical use of data (Brooker, Corrin, Mirriahi & Fisher, 2017). Similarly for the upcoming Learning Analytics Knowledge conference (LAK18), only one paper has any reference to ethics in the title, and at the 2017 conference there was one session with 3 papers. This suggests that whilst national and international bodies are promoting the conversations, there is still a way to go before these happen widely within institutions. Are there other organisations that are facilitating similar discussions?

Whilst promoting these conversations is a useful first step, there is also a need to continue to develop guidelines and processes. These will help ensure that staff are submitting ethics applications and their work with student data is conducted in an ethical manner. Additionally, Human Ethics staff need to work alongside academics and Learning & Teaching support staff; journals and conferences need to ensure that appropriate ethics approvals have been obtained and institutions need to involve students in all facets of Learning Analytics. These strategies will promote more widespread adoption of ethical practices in use of student data to inform and enhance learning and teaching practice and culture, and, ultimately, the student experience. Hopefully initiatives such as those outlined in this post will continue to grow and spark the necessary conversations – who will join us?

References

ASCILITE (2014) About ASCILITE. Retrieved from http://ascilite.org/about-ascilite/

Brooker, A., Corrin, L., Mirriahi, N. & Fisher, J. (2017). Defining ‘data’ in conversations with students about the ethical use of learning analytics. In H. Partridge, K. Davis, & J. Thomas. (Eds.), Me, Us, IT! Proceedings ASCILITE2017: 34th International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education (pp. 27-31). Retrieved from http://2017conference.ascilite.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Concise-BROOKER.pdf

Jones, H. (2016). Ethical considerations in the use of student data: International perspectives and educators’ perceptions. In S. Barker, S. Dawson, A. Pardo, & C. Colvin (Eds.), Show Me The Learning. Proceedings ASCILITE 2016 Adelaide (pp. 300-304). Retrieved from http://2016conference.ascilite.org/wp-content/uploads/ascilite2016_jonesh_concise.pdf

Declaration of Interests

Hazel Jones is a member of the ASCILITE Executive Committee and one of the facilitators for the Learning Analytics SIG.

Contributor
Hazel Jones
PhD candidiate/Educational Designer | University of Southern Queensland | USQ Staff Profile | [email protected]

This post may be cited as:
Jones H. (2018, 22 February 2018) ‘Ethical Use of Student Data in Higher Education – Advancing the conversation’. Research Ethics Monthly. Retrieved from https://ahrecs.com/human-research-ethics/ethical-use-student-data-higher-education-advancing-conversation