Experts gather to discuss the ethical collection and use of student data

Data experts are gathering at the University of Stirling today to discuss the ethics behind the collection and use of student data in higher education.

With data increasingly being collected, analysed, and used to inform teaching and higher education decisions, institutions face a balancing act between institutional risks such as funding constraints and data regulations, and personal risks such as bias and stereotyping.

Led by Professor Paul Prinsloo, from the University of South Africa, academics will focus particularly on the use of data to enhance the student experience.

They will look at the implications of how student data is collected and consider what, if any, evidence shows it improves the student experience.

“In this presentation I aim to provoke discussion surrounding our collection, analysis and use of student data, and specifically the ethics surrounding learning analytics,” said Dr Prinsloo, Research Professor in Open and Distance Learning (ODL).

“While the fiduciary duty of higher education to collect, analyse and use student data is not in question, we need to reconsider our moral duty to ensure the ethical collection, analysis and use of student data.”

Dr Eddy Borges and Dr Ben Williamson, from the University of Stirling, and Dr Jeremy Knox, from the University of Edinburgh, will also speak at the Datafication of Higher Education: Considering an ethical approach to enhancing the student experience event, being held in the University’s Iris Murdoch Building between 2-4.30pm.

The event is open to academic researchers and teachers interested in data practices in education, learning, and work; practitioners in Higher Education and other institutions who manage or deal with data or learning analytics; those focused on enhancing the student and/or teaching experience; and students.