The document discusses the obligation institutions have to act on insights gained from student data analytics. It notes that while the concerns around ethics in learning analytics have grown, there is no clear consensus on the ramifications of institutions identifying at-risk students but not supporting them. The document examines this issue through two case studies and suggests that realizing this obligation requires addressing challenges such as balancing student and institutional responsibilities, ensuring data insights translate to useful information, and embedding response mechanisms in policies and contracts.
Career night blended learning 2016 print versionAnthony Picciano
This presentation entitled, The Online Education Landscape, was made as part of the CUNY Graduate Center Program in Urban Education Career Night Series. February 11, 2016.
Education systems and its actors are generally responding to quarantine and large-scale shutdown (partial) of cities with a sudden shift to Web-Based Learning. However, given that a pandemic of this nature and scale is novel, there is a knowledge gap as to how teachers and learners should respond to the shift, and what the likely impact and the key considerations should be. This study aims to extrapolate and theorize from the existing knowledgebase about the use of Web-Based Learning, as well as from an expert and practitioner wisdom and experience, to offer high-level guidance for policymakers and education system actors that are forced to make decisions in fast-moving and very challenging circumstances with little guidance or relevant experience. It is an early attempt at theorizing the impact of the pandemic on two key actors (Learners and Teachers) and one interface (Content), all across eight dimensions of learning. The analysis is based on Khan’s (2001) dimension of Web-Based Learning and Anderson’s (2011) Model of Online Learning. Overall, we posit based on experience and practice, that the pandemic has delivered severe shocks to both the demand and supply side of Web-Based Learning, with Leaners, Teachers, and Content all significantly affected. While we hypothesize a general drop in the quality of teaching and learning in the short run, we expect the opposite to be the case in the long run, when the demand and supply side self-correct, albeit guided by strong government and market institutions.
Career night blended learning 2016 print versionAnthony Picciano
This presentation entitled, The Online Education Landscape, was made as part of the CUNY Graduate Center Program in Urban Education Career Night Series. February 11, 2016.
Education systems and its actors are generally responding to quarantine and large-scale shutdown (partial) of cities with a sudden shift to Web-Based Learning. However, given that a pandemic of this nature and scale is novel, there is a knowledge gap as to how teachers and learners should respond to the shift, and what the likely impact and the key considerations should be. This study aims to extrapolate and theorize from the existing knowledgebase about the use of Web-Based Learning, as well as from an expert and practitioner wisdom and experience, to offer high-level guidance for policymakers and education system actors that are forced to make decisions in fast-moving and very challenging circumstances with little guidance or relevant experience. It is an early attempt at theorizing the impact of the pandemic on two key actors (Learners and Teachers) and one interface (Content), all across eight dimensions of learning. The analysis is based on Khan’s (2001) dimension of Web-Based Learning and Anderson’s (2011) Model of Online Learning. Overall, we posit based on experience and practice, that the pandemic has delivered severe shocks to both the demand and supply side of Web-Based Learning, with Leaners, Teachers, and Content all significantly affected. While we hypothesize a general drop in the quality of teaching and learning in the short run, we expect the opposite to be the case in the long run, when the demand and supply side self-correct, albeit guided by strong government and market institutions.
Cómo Invertir hoy en un futuro más promisorio a través de la Educación en Cie...Belén Quellet
Antonio Moreira es vicerrector para Asuntos Académicos y profesor de química, bioquímica e ingeniería medioambiental de la University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC).
El profesor Moreira trabaja en iniciativas educativas relacionadas con la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y la matemática (STEM) para incluir en sus programas, el desarrollo del plan de estudios y el aspecto pedagógico, el diseño de actividades de aprendizaje relacionadas y otras iniciativas destinadas a aumentar el interés de los alumnos y su desempeño en dichas clases.
Presentation given by Rebecca Ferguson at the BETT HE Leaders Summit in Excel, London, on 25 January 2017. The talk covers work carried out by the European-funded LAEP and LACE projects.
"If you would like to introduce learning analytics at your institution, where should you start? Drawing on a recent study that consulted experts worldwide, Rebecca Ferguson will outline an action plan for analytics and identify the key points to keep in mind."
Where is the evidence? A call to action for learning analyticsRebecca Ferguson
Paper presented by Rebecca Ferguson and Doug Clow of The Open University at the Learning Analytics and Knowledge 2017 conference (LAK17) in Vancouver, Canada, 15 March 2016. This presentation builds on work carried out by the FP7-funded European project, the Learning Analytics Community Exchange (LACE)
Data protection and privacy framework in the design of learning analytics sys...Tore Hoel
Presentation on The Influence of Data Protection and Privacy Frameworks on the Design of Learning Analytics Systems at LAK17, Vancouver, Canada - 2017-03-16
Buyers no longer use voicemails and emails from strangers to learn about products. This information is online, whenever buyers are interested. This SlideShare presentation show sellers how to connect in a meaningful way by starting conversations around the buyer’s plans, goals and challenges.
This presentation is one class in HubSpot Academy's free sales training course. You can enroll here: http://certification.hubspot.com/inbound-sales-certification
Modern Prospecting Techniques for Connecting with Prospects (from Sales Hacke...HubSpot
Sales is a difficult world to be in because buyers aren't putting up with salespeople anymore. Instead of helping and building relationships, sales reps are still focused on closing prospects - even when they aren't ready to buy! So buyers ignore them. Because of that, even great sales reps would be lucky to get on the phone with someone.
While buyers have evolved and become more sophisticated, sales reps and training programs have been slow to adapt to that change.
Learn actionable modern prospecting techniques you can apply immediately from two best selling authors and sales experts: Max Altschuler CEO of Sales Hacker, and Mark Roberge CRO of HubSpot.
3 Proven Sales Email Templates Used by Successful CompaniesHubSpot
76% of emails never get opened. That makes life for salespeople very difficult. So we've partnered up with Breakthrough Email to bring you email templates that are proven to engage prospects and close more deals. Start using them today and grow your revenue.
Unravelling the dynamics of instructional practice: A longitudinal study on l...Quan Nguyen
Substantial progress has been made in understanding how teachers design for learning. However, there remains a paucity of evidence of the actual students’ response towards leaning designs. Learning analytics has the power to provide just-in-time support, especially when predictive analytics is married with the way teachers have designed their course, or so-called a learning design. This study investigates how learning designs are configured over time and their impact on student activities by analyzing longitudinal data of 38 modules with a total of 43,099 registered students over 30 weeks at the Open University UK, using social network analysis and panel data analysis. Our analysis unpacked dynamic configurations of learning designs between modules over time, which allows teachers to reflect on their practice in order to anticipate problems and make informed interventions. Furthermore, by controlling for the heterogeneity between modules, our results indicated that learning designs were able to explain up to 60% of the variability in student online activities, which reinforced the importance of pedagogical context in learning analytics.
15 minutes intro to the Sigfox service, before a Bosch presentation of their Sigfox usecases & implementation
Presentation made during Bosch Connected Experience (March 2017, Berlin)
This presentation, mostly in Norwegian, gives a broad overview of Open, in particular Open Education Resources as a key factor in future education. The presentation suggests that Norwegian stakeholders, in particular the owners, the counties, should care for and take to the next level the recognised Norwegian OER actor NDLA.
Cómo Invertir hoy en un futuro más promisorio a través de la Educación en Cie...Belén Quellet
Antonio Moreira es vicerrector para Asuntos Académicos y profesor de química, bioquímica e ingeniería medioambiental de la University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC).
El profesor Moreira trabaja en iniciativas educativas relacionadas con la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y la matemática (STEM) para incluir en sus programas, el desarrollo del plan de estudios y el aspecto pedagógico, el diseño de actividades de aprendizaje relacionadas y otras iniciativas destinadas a aumentar el interés de los alumnos y su desempeño en dichas clases.
Presentation given by Rebecca Ferguson at the BETT HE Leaders Summit in Excel, London, on 25 January 2017. The talk covers work carried out by the European-funded LAEP and LACE projects.
"If you would like to introduce learning analytics at your institution, where should you start? Drawing on a recent study that consulted experts worldwide, Rebecca Ferguson will outline an action plan for analytics and identify the key points to keep in mind."
Where is the evidence? A call to action for learning analyticsRebecca Ferguson
Paper presented by Rebecca Ferguson and Doug Clow of The Open University at the Learning Analytics and Knowledge 2017 conference (LAK17) in Vancouver, Canada, 15 March 2016. This presentation builds on work carried out by the FP7-funded European project, the Learning Analytics Community Exchange (LACE)
Data protection and privacy framework in the design of learning analytics sys...Tore Hoel
Presentation on The Influence of Data Protection and Privacy Frameworks on the Design of Learning Analytics Systems at LAK17, Vancouver, Canada - 2017-03-16
Buyers no longer use voicemails and emails from strangers to learn about products. This information is online, whenever buyers are interested. This SlideShare presentation show sellers how to connect in a meaningful way by starting conversations around the buyer’s plans, goals and challenges.
This presentation is one class in HubSpot Academy's free sales training course. You can enroll here: http://certification.hubspot.com/inbound-sales-certification
Modern Prospecting Techniques for Connecting with Prospects (from Sales Hacke...HubSpot
Sales is a difficult world to be in because buyers aren't putting up with salespeople anymore. Instead of helping and building relationships, sales reps are still focused on closing prospects - even when they aren't ready to buy! So buyers ignore them. Because of that, even great sales reps would be lucky to get on the phone with someone.
While buyers have evolved and become more sophisticated, sales reps and training programs have been slow to adapt to that change.
Learn actionable modern prospecting techniques you can apply immediately from two best selling authors and sales experts: Max Altschuler CEO of Sales Hacker, and Mark Roberge CRO of HubSpot.
3 Proven Sales Email Templates Used by Successful CompaniesHubSpot
76% of emails never get opened. That makes life for salespeople very difficult. So we've partnered up with Breakthrough Email to bring you email templates that are proven to engage prospects and close more deals. Start using them today and grow your revenue.
Unravelling the dynamics of instructional practice: A longitudinal study on l...Quan Nguyen
Substantial progress has been made in understanding how teachers design for learning. However, there remains a paucity of evidence of the actual students’ response towards leaning designs. Learning analytics has the power to provide just-in-time support, especially when predictive analytics is married with the way teachers have designed their course, or so-called a learning design. This study investigates how learning designs are configured over time and their impact on student activities by analyzing longitudinal data of 38 modules with a total of 43,099 registered students over 30 weeks at the Open University UK, using social network analysis and panel data analysis. Our analysis unpacked dynamic configurations of learning designs between modules over time, which allows teachers to reflect on their practice in order to anticipate problems and make informed interventions. Furthermore, by controlling for the heterogeneity between modules, our results indicated that learning designs were able to explain up to 60% of the variability in student online activities, which reinforced the importance of pedagogical context in learning analytics.
15 minutes intro to the Sigfox service, before a Bosch presentation of their Sigfox usecases & implementation
Presentation made during Bosch Connected Experience (March 2017, Berlin)
This presentation, mostly in Norwegian, gives a broad overview of Open, in particular Open Education Resources as a key factor in future education. The presentation suggests that Norwegian stakeholders, in particular the owners, the counties, should care for and take to the next level the recognised Norwegian OER actor NDLA.
DECOLAV's Preferred Vendor program awards their vendors for placement of showroom displays by offering web ad placement as well as social media ad space. The preferred vendor would be for a specific region to the plumbing and bath industries.
– بناء وترميم أكثر من 20 منزلا سنويا.
– توفير مأوى آمن للأيتام والأرامل يقيهم قساوة الحياة، ويحد من ظاهرة استغلال الأيتام والأرامل.
– تحقيق مبدأ التكافل الاجتماعي في الإسلام.
– فتح أبواب الخير أمام المحسنين من أهل الكويت.
Presentation at the European Distance Education and E-Learning Network (EDEN) Conference, Genoa, Italy, 17-20 June 2018. Authors: Paul Prinsloo, Sharon Slade and Mohammad Khalil
Presentation at LAK19, Tempe, Arizona. Text available at Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge - https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3303796
Pages 235-244
The Student Data Privacy Manifesto begins a reasonable conversation among parents, education leaders, and technology providers on the future of student data privacy protection and transparency.
GLOBAL ETHICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Global Grads 2
Journal Paper: Global Ethics in Higher Education
The research addressed in this paper explores situations that impact the field of higher education globally and how students can navigate certain trials connected to ethics and prejudices. The aim of this paper is to answer the following questions: What challenges do higher institutions face in regards to digital ethics? How do higher education institutions create climates of academic integrity on the global scale? What are the pillars of medical ethics and how are these implemented on a global scale in higher education? What are the ethical considerations to be made when bringing foreign students into higher education? Why do athletics in higher education cause such an involvement for ethical recruiting practices? What are the steps of creating sexual assault awareness? Each topic addressed in this paper provides considerations to uplift the field of education by providing considerations or interventions to better the experience for students, staff, and faculty at institutions across the globe that can lead to a more responsible workforce and community at large.
Introduction
The field of higher education has the opportunity to provide positive change in the lives of students globally. However, it can also cause harm if institutions or policies are not in place to negate ethical mistreatment in the classroom, in the workforce or in the personal lives of individuals. Professionals connected to institutions must provide an atmosphere of respect, honesty, and care for students holistically to eliminate exploitation of international students for the sake of an institution's reputation. Acts of exploitation can range from heightened cost of tuition for international to masking sexual assault reporting. These factors cause harm to students that go beyond higher education, leading to scars that can impact career opportunities and mental wellness. This paper addresses global stressors that affect students and considerations that can provide a more student-centered changes to institutions on the global scale.
Digital Ethics in Higher Education
Not only are higher education institutions tasked with keeping up and possibly developing new digital technology, they have to think about the ethical issues that go along with it. Digital ethics should be viewed with a global perspective in mind (Olcott et al, 2015). Most companies have treated data privacy as both technical and legal issues, but it should be treated as an ethical one as well (Stewart, 2020). Institutions ‘can be energized by new technologies while (staying) fully aware of the privacy and ethical considerations.’ (Olcott et al, 2015). O’Brien states that along with the ethical issues new technologies present, there are also unresolved ethical issues with the internet itself and artificial intelligence gets the most attention (2020). HolonIQ, a global education market in ...
CHEPTER The Internet and ClientServer, Intranet & Cloud Computin.docxchristinemaritza
CHEPTER: The Internet and Client/Server, Intranet & Cloud Computing
Requirements
Please read Case Study 1 and write a paper to address ALL of the following discussion points:
1. Do your own research, define cloud computing and its use in American public education system.
2. List and comment on some of the uses of cloud solutions at New York State Education Department. Explain the aim of using cloud solutions in those use cases.
3. Describe and analyze the problems encountered by the New York State Education Department when implementing the cloud solution to centralize students' personally identifiable information (PII).
4. Identify the lesson learned from this case study for the educational institution and the cloud computing industry.
5. Provide TWO suggestions based on your own research, experience and understanding to address some of the challenges/issues related to the adoption of cloud solutions in education.
Format your paper
1. Be sure to reference all resources cited
2. Use APA formatting (see a guide here: http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/apa/)
3. State the discussion point (1-5) clearly in your answer.
Do not plagiarize
1. This assignment is monitored by Turnitin, a software to check of a work is similar to internet resources and other students' works.
2. You can view Turnitin report a while after submitting your paper. If the similarity index is too high, consider rewrite your paper. The best is you write in your own words because we want to understand your own view.
3. All plagiarism cases will be penalized heavily without any excuse.
Submission:
· Deadline: Friday, July 21, 23:59PM (mid-night)
Late submission: -20% per day.
Page 2 of 19
Bennett and Weber. QScience Connect 2015:2
Page 21 of 22
Bennett and Weber. QScience Connect 2015:2
Cloud computing in New York State education: Case study of failed technology adoption of a statewide longitudinal database for student data
Educational institutions are turning to private cloud computing solutions to lower costs, efficiently deliver educational content and analyze student data, ranging from grades and school activities to behavior, health status, and basic demographic variables. This case study of New York State Education Department’s failed adoption of cloud computing for its student data and administrative needs demonstrates the potential benefits of creating detailed longitudinal student databases and large datasets. However, it also highlights several serious concerns about privacy, trust, and security in relation to student personally identifiable information (PII). Opposition from parents and educational and privacy advocacy groups–primarily due to fears of commercialization and ubiquitous, nontransparent, and unregulated sharing of student data–led to the closure of a private, cloud-based longitudinal database built by inBloom; and to new New York state legislation regulating student data. This case study analyzes educational governance in New York State, in particu ...
draft of poster presented to Effective learning in the biosciences conference 30 June 2011, Edinburgh by Jon scott and Jo Badge. http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/bioconf/index.aspx
Becta Impact09 data reanalysed: E-maturity and ICT adoption in UK schoolsColin Harrison
EARLI Conference - Munich 2013
Symposium: Educational technology acceptance- Explaining non-significant intention-behavior effects
Full paper title: An e-maturity analysis explains intention-behavior disjunctions
in technology adoption in UK schools
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of non-significant intention-behavior effects in educational technology adoption, based on a reanalysis of data from the Impact09 project, a UK-government funded evaluation of technology use in high schools in England that had been selected as representing outstanding Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) innovation. The reanalysis focuses on intentionality and teleology, and attempts to combine an ecological perspective with a critical analysis of the intention-behavior correlations among participants, particularly teachers and head teachers. The concept of self-regulation is also considered as a determinant of behavior. The study reports a qualitative analysis of extensive interview data from four schools, and makes use of Underwood’s concept of ‘linkage e-maturity’. Traditional models of technology acceptance often assumed a steady trajectory of innovation, but such studies failed to explain uneven patterns of adoption. In this reanalysis, an emphasis on learning practices and e-maturity, interpreted within local and system-wide ecological contexts, better explained uneven adoption patterns.
Presentation by Colin Harrison, Carmen Tomás, Charles Crook
Similar to An elephant in the learning analytics room – the obligation to act (20)
Presentation at the 25th Annual Conference of the South African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR), 12-15 November, 2018, Durban University of Technology (DUT), Durban, South Africa
Guest presentation: SASUF Symposium: Digital Technologies, Big Data, and Cybersecurity, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, 15 May 2018
Guest presentation, Africa Young Graduates and Scholars (AYGS) Conference, 12 March, 2018, Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Safalta Digital marketing institute in Noida, provide complete applications that encompass a huge range of virtual advertising and marketing additives, which includes search engine optimization, virtual communication advertising, pay-per-click on marketing, content material advertising, internet analytics, and greater. These university courses are designed for students who possess a comprehensive understanding of virtual marketing strategies and attributes.Safalta Digital Marketing Institute in Noida is a first choice for young individuals or students who are looking to start their careers in the field of digital advertising. The institute gives specialized courses designed and certification.
for beginners, providing thorough training in areas such as SEO, digital communication marketing, and PPC training in Noida. After finishing the program, students receive the certifications recognised by top different universitie, setting a strong foundation for a successful career in digital marketing.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
An elephant in the learning analytics room – the obligation to act
1. An elephant in the
learning analytics room –
the obligation to act
By Paul Prinsloo (University of South Africa)
@14prinsp
Sharon Slade (Open University, UK)
@SharonSlade
Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyman/4941417146
2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The presenters do not own the copyright of any of the
images in this presentation. We hereby acknowledge the
original copyright and licensing regime of every image
and reference used. All the images used in this
presentation have been sourced from Google and
Pixabay and labeled for non-commercial reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
3. The concerns and various
ethical issues in the collection,
analysis and use of student
data in education have moved
from the margins of the
discourses in learning analytics
to part of the mainstream
agenda
Prinsloo, P., & Slade, S. (2017). Ethics and learning analytics: charting the (un)charted. In G.
Siemens & C. Lang, (Eds), Learning Analytics Handbook. SOLAR. In press.
Image credit:
http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/highlighted/e/ethics.html
Ethics in learning analytics: From the margins …
5. “Does the new knowledge
gained bring with it a
responsibility to act upon it?
What are the ramifications of
action or inaction?”
(Griffiths, Drachsler, Kickmeier-Rust, Hoel, & Greller, 2016, p.7)
6. If we know students are/may be at
risk, what are the ethical and legal
requirements?
• Provide disabled students with equitable access
• Prevent discrimination
• Respond to allegations of (cyber)bullying
• Care for students at risk of (physical/mental) harm
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/one-against-all-all-against-one-1744086/
We know that HEIs must:
7. There appears to be no equivalent regarding an
institution’s obligation to act in the event of
identifying students at risk of failing.
With the growth in the scope and detail of
learning analytics, it is valid to question
whether students would have recourse to
(legal) action if they were identified as more
likely to fail, but not warned and/or supported.
8. • Our understanding of the theory/practice divide
• The role of political will and institutional
responsiveness
• Integration in institutional sense-making
• Resource/capacity constraints
• Student responsibility and autonomy
Our response is determined by …
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/doors-choices-choose-open-decision-1587329/
9. While we specifically focus on the moral
and legal obligations of institutions to
respond to students at risk, it is
important to note that the responsibility
to create an enabling environment for
student success does not exonerate
students from taking responsibility for
their learning.
11. Teleological
• The potential for harm
• The scope of consent
• Recourse in cases of
unintended harm are
negotiated and agreed
upon
Deontological
• Basis for legal and
regulatory frameworks
• Terms and Conditions
• By consent and/or
contract
• Works well in stable
environments
Two traditional approaches to
being ethical
12. A combination of
• a utilitarian approach (action that “provides the greatest
balance of good over evil”);
• a rights approach (referring to basic universal rights such as
the right to privacy, not to be injured, etc);
• a fairness or justice approach;
• a common-good approach (the welfare of the individual is
linked to the welfare of the community); and
• a virtue approach (based on the aspiration towards certain
shared ideals)
Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, T.S.J., & Meyer, M.J. (2015, August 1). Thinking ethically. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/
An alternative perspective
13. “…there is no general ‘duty
to rescue’ a person in even
the gravest danger if the
actor has no control over
that person …. regardless
of how easy and risk-free it
would be”.
But wait – it is more
complex than this…
Massie, A. M. (2008). Suicide on campus: The appropriate legal responsibility of college personnel. M. Law Review, 91 (3)
Imagecredit:https://pixabay.com/en/empty-life-guard-stand-red-beach-1592792/
14. A duty to rescue arises:
1. where a dangerous situation is created which causes a person
to fall into peril. Under such circumstances the person who
created the context has a duty to rescue;
2. where a special relationship exists between two parties, e.g.,
between parents and children, or employers and employees.
The principle of ‘reasonable care’ comes onto play, although
"…what constitutes reasonable care is contextual”. It might
expect to differ in relation to young elementary school pupils
compared to college students, for example
Is there an argument that universities and colleges specifically
take on this obligation at the point of formal registration?
Massie, A. M. (2008). Suicide on campus: The appropriate legal responsibility of college personnel. M. Law Review, 91 (3)
15. It is accepted (in the US at least) that accountability holds as a result of
the special relationship between a higher education institution and its
students - even where those students are adults – if there is:
• foreseeability of harm (to the student) – potential harm can be
identified;
• degree of certainty – which the institution should take reasonable
steps to prevent – there is understanding that (in)action would lead
to potential harm;
• existence of some kind of mutual dependence, often involving
financial benefit (to the institution) arising from the relationship;
And that having foreseen the potential for harm, there is moral
blameworthiness in failing to act
Massie, A. M. (2008). Suicide on campus: The appropriate legal responsibility of college personnel. M. Law Review, 91 (3)
17. Case study 1: Open University
Large open distance learning institution ±200, 000 students
Pilot OU study using predictive tools to deliver information direct to
teaching staff
• self selecting tutors – weekly engagement variable, around 25%
• No formal expectation that tutors should engage with analytics
• Proactive student support presented as part of role guidance rather
than contractual expectation
• Potential conflict with OU policy which has, as one of its main
principles, that the University “has a responsibility to all stakeholders to
use and extract meaning from student data for the benefit of students
Although it is fair to say that policy often lags practice, the reluctance to
enforce an obligation to act as part of tutor contract review appears a
missed opportunity and inconsistent with broader policy.
18. Case study 2: Unisa
Large open distance learning institution (around 300, 000 students)
• Most courses are technology-supported (not technology dependent) ->
implications for what we assume about students’ digital footprints
• Support provided by teaching assistants and E-tutors, with different contracts
Mode A: Signature courses (fully online)…
• 200 students per TA, in four classes of 50
• TAs mark 10 assignment items per student per semester
• Most time spent marking and on administrative issues, little time to
facilitate discussions and learning
Mode B: technology supported courses
• E-tutors provide reactive student support
• Student participation in online activities is not compulsory
• Little or no follow up for disengaging students
• No explicit reference to the use of a learning analytics approach to make
sense of student behaviours, nor to predict or act upon any insight gained.
19. Case study 2: Unisa (cont)
Despite the widespread use of technology as a means to
deliver/support teaching and learning, little or no
thought has been given to how student data can be used
in an active learning analytics approach.
The move toward proactive tracking and alert systems for
staff and students has been flagged as a future initiative
which would have contractual implications for the work
of both e-tutors and TAs.
20. Realising the obligation to act
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/newton-s-cradle-balls-sphere-action-256213/
21. 1. Co-responsibility in an
asymmetrical power and contractual
relationship
…obligation to act is a co-responsibility of students and
institution, tempered by the asymmetrical power and
contractual relationship in which the institution has very
specific moral and legal duties to respond
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/michelangelo-abstract-boy-child-71282/
22. 2. Data, information and knowledge
• expectations and assumptions regarding data
collection processes & the collected data itself,
should be scrutinized for bias, statistical error
and unintended consequences
• data does not necessarily translate into
information and knowledge
• collection and analysis of data increases the
necessity and scope of the obligation to act.
Image credit: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/the-sensor-rich-data-scooping-future-1.2196914
23. 3. The scope and implications
of the moral basis for the
obligation to act
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/p-534751/?no_redirect
• simple reliance on rules and legal
frameworks is not enough
• need to engage with the potential
of both a deontological (rule based,
T&Cs) and teleological approach
(negotiated, agreed ethical norms)
in exploring the scope, limitations
and reasonableness of the
obligation to act
24. Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/agree-english-consent-contract-1728448/
4. The scope and implications of
the legal basis for the obligation
to act The contractual obligation between student
and institution is tempered by the notion
and definition of reasonable care
Remains largely unclear (untested)
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/agree-english-consent-contract-1728448/
25. 5. Implications of an obligation to act for
policies and performance agreements
• The case studies highlight the importance of an institutional,
integrated response to information and knowledge
• The obligation to act should be embedded in the contracts of
those at the forefront of teaching to ensure oversight and
accountability……. although
• The ability to respond is muddied and embedded in broader
institutional policies and funding arrangements
• Simply having an ethical policy does not necessarily result in the
will or the resources to respond
• We should (re)consider the responsibilities which flow from
knowing more about our students – to involve, inform and
enable students to take the necessary steps to alleviate risk
Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tape_Measure_Massband_10_cm.svg
26. 6. The potential and perils of new
developments in technology
There is a need to address (newer) ethical challenges
posed by the use of algorithms, machine learning and
Artificial Intelligence while not ignoring their potential to
make greater sense of student learning, or to respond to
students with specific needs
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/hand-robot-machine-697264/
27. (In)conclusions
• Knowing more about our students and making this
information and knowledge available to a range of
stakeholders, does not necessarily result in action
• A rule-based response to the obligation to act may not be
sufficient
• A teleological approach that determines the scope,
timeliness and resources needed to enact the obligation to
act should be negotiated between everyone affected
• Responses may be constrained by a range of factors, such as
lack of political will, gaps in performance contracts and/or a
lack of resources, but these do not indemnify or exonerate
higher education from ignoring legal/moral obligation to act
28. THANK YOU
Paul Prinsloo (Prof)
Research Professor in Open Distance Learning (ODL)
College of Economic and Management Sciences, Office
number 3-15, Club 1, Hazelwood, P O Box 392
Unisa, 0003, Republic of South Africa
T: +27 (0) 12 433 4719 (office)
T: +27 (0) 82 3954 113 (mobile)
prinsp@unisa.ac.za
Skype: paul.prinsloo59
Personal blog:
http://opendistanceteachingandlearning.wordpress.com
Twitter profile: @14prinsp
Sharon Slade (Dr)
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Business and Law
The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton
Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1865 486250
Sharon.slade@open.ac.uk
Personal blog:
http://odlsharonslade.wordpress.com/
Twitter profile: @SharonSlade