Obligation of Knowing: Ethics of Data Collection and Analytics

The use of analytics in higher education is a relatively new area of practice and research. As with any new area of practice, a variety of issues will emerge as field progresses. For analytics, it's the ethics of data collection and the actions of learning analytics. Some of the ethical issues are evident, including following federal regulations (such as FERPA); other issues are much more subtle, such as the impact of learning analytics and any obligation that an institution may inherit based on having actionable intelligence. This session will provide a landscape of the ethical and privacy issues related to learning analytics. Participants will learn how to (1) develop a foundational knowledge of the ethical and privacy issues related to learning analytics, (2) identify individuals on campus who must be included in a broader discussion on the ethical issues related to learning analytics, and (3) develop individuals to cultivate a balanced approach toward learning analytics, which will allow projects to proceed within the culture of the institution.