Ethical considerations in the use of student data

International perspectives and educators' perceptions

Abstract

As more emphasis is placed on the notion of 'show me the learning', institutions and individual staff are looking to the field of learning analytics to provide evidence of the learning that is happening. There is growing concern within the field that this evidence needs to be collected and utilised in ethical ways. However, there is 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. Although many universities are adopting such policies, results from a survey of academics suggest that such policy and guidelines are low on the ranking of factors that impact their current use and knowledge of learning analytics. Practical strategies are suggested to promote policy and guidelines, with appropriate support mechanisms that enable staff to embrace and adopt learning analytics through efficient, sustainable, and accessible processes.