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Abi Brooker
University of Melbourne
@abi__brooker

Linda Corrin
University of Melbourne
@lindacorrin

Negin Mirriahi
University of South Australia
@neginm

Josie Fisher
University of New England

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Abstract

In any conversation about the development of ethical standards for practice, it is vital that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the main concepts in order to reach agreement. In the context of higher education and learning analytics, while many conversations are underway, it is less clear that such a shared understanding exists around the concept of “data”. In order to understand this situation more fully we conducted a study to investigate students’ perceptions of the ethical and privacy considerations related to the data that universities collect and use about them for the purposes of learning analytics. In this paper, we focus specifically on the understandings students have of the types of data that can be collected about them within the educational environment. The outcomes showed that there was a diversity of understandings, but that five main data types emerged: personal data, online activity, student feedback, academic information, and resource usage. In developing a better understanding of the ways students understand data, it can assist institutions to have more effective conversations with students about the ethical use of learning analytics.

About the authors

Abi Brooker

Dr Abi Brooker is a teaching fellow at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, at the University of Melbourne where she teaches developmental psychology to undergraduate students. She is also co-leader of a national network of academic teaching staff interested in issues related to student and staff well-being. Her research interests take a lifespan developmental perspective of young adults’ experiences, especially those studying at university. Current projects include the ethical implications of learning analytics on the student experience, the consequences of students’ experiences of psychological well-being and distress, and undergraduate students’ curricular and non-curricular challenges.

Linda Corrin

Dr Linda Corrin is a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education in the Williams Centre for Learning Advancement, Faculty of Business and Economics, at the University of Melbourne. In her current role, she provides support for curriculum development, delivery and assessment to staff in the faculty. Her research interests include students’ engagement with technology, learning analytics, feedback, and learning design. Currently, she is working on several large research projects exploring how learning analytics can be used to provide meaningful and timely feedback to academics and students. Linda is member of the University of Melbourne’s Learning Analytics Research Group and co-founder of the Victorian and Tasmanian Learning Analytics Network. She is also a co-coordinator of the ASCILITE Learning Analytics Special Interest Group.

Negin Mirriahi

Dr Negin Mirriahi is Senior Lecturer in the Teaching Innovation Unit at the University of South Australia. She has extensive international experience managing, implementing, and evaluating innovative educational technology in higher education and in designing fully online, blended, and open courses. Her research is in learning analytics to inform pedagogical practice, video analytics to enhance learning, technology adoption, blended and online learning, and academic staff development.

Josie Fisher

Dr Josie Fisher is an Associate Professor at the University of New England Business School. She teaches professional ethics, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability to postgraduate students. In addition, she is Chair of Teaching and Learning in the School, a senior management position that provides leadership in the design and continuous improvement of courses and units with a focus on innovative delivery. Her research has two themes: professional and business ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability; and learning analytics, particularly the ethical aspects of the use of analytics by universities.