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What are some potential concerns regarding the use of educational technology in relation to student privacy, and how can these concerns be addressed?

Vivienne Grouvel

As an avid user of educational technology platforms as a student, I think there are several potential concerns regarding student privacy. As our world continues to shift towards utilizing technology in almost every aspect of our lives, the educational industry has also adopted this trend. Although it comes with numerous benefits and facilitates learning, we must acknowledge the potential risks that come with it.

Firstly, there's the issue of data breaches and hacking attempts on these online platforms which could lead to student's personal and confidential information being compromised, leaked, or misused. While these risks aren't necessarily new or technology-specific, they can have more significant consequences in the online learning world, where students' social security numbers, names, emails, and even home addresses are stored. Schools and organizations need to be aware of this risk and invest in improving their security measures to prevent these data breaches.

Secondly, utilizing facial recognition technology and other electronic surveillance gadgets in the name of monitoring students' participation and progress in online classes could become too intrusive, and some might consider it a breach of their privacy. While some data could be useful in assisting educators to understand how students are engaging with the materials, such technology could also potentially gather specific data points of a student's activity not necessary for the learning process, such as determining facial expressions and emotional states. It is crucial to ask ourselves how much data gathering is too much?

Thirdly, many educational technology applications and platforms have the capability of tracking a user's activity on and off the educational platform. The data gathered could be used for various reasons, including in-depth profiles on users' behavior patterns, advertisement purposes or could even be sold to third-party organizations. That could create a concern that one's information isn't being put to its intended use by a company should they fall victim to a security breach.

To address these concerns, educational institutions and organizations must prioritize the privacy and security of their students' data when selecting educational technology applications. They should investigate and find tools that explicitly state their commitment to protecting user's data, understand how they use and gather data, and check that the vendor who is providing the technology is reputable and has no previous issues with cybersecurity.

In addition, educators and institution administrators must educate themselves regarding the laws and regulations related to data privacy and security. While it can be challenging to navigate complex regulations, it's essential that instructors and leaders understand existing policies that govern data privacy and other information security measures.

Moreover, educational institutions need to ensure students are well-informed of data policies and learn to safeguard their information. Including reviewing privacy settings and permissions for each application on the plan of study. This approach could be incorporated as part of the curriculum to make sure that all students are aware of and able to use the educational tech platform to their advantage without compromising their privacy.

In conclusion, educational technology is an essential tool in modern-day learning environments and provides numerous benefits to both instructors and students. However, we need to be vigilant and mindful about potential concerns that come with it, particularly students' privacy issues. While educational institutions must guarantee that security measures are in place to safeguard student data, administrators and teachers must educate themselves and students about privacy laws and the importance of protecting their data.