1.2 Using learning analytics responsibly

FACILITATORS

If your institution has its own learning analytics guiding principles, remember to insert them in place of the principles below. You may also wish to include any links or information from your institution's data governance body.

Learning analytics use, like many types of analytics and data uses in general, must be approached thoughtfully. While they provide powerful opportunities to support more effective learning, learning analytics use also carries significant risks (Slade & Prinsloo, 2013). As such, it's critical to ensure that the use of learning analytics aligns with ethical principles and educational goals.

The Unizin Consortium Learning Analytics Guiding Principles were developed to help guide the ethical use of learning analytics. These principles were generated following a review of the relevant literature and existing policies and procedures across institutions and organizations.

 

 

Learning Analytics Guiding Principles

Developed by Robin Pappas Ph.D., Oregon State University; Kimberly Arnold Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison; Marcia Ham Ph.D., The Ohio State University; Doug Johnson Ph.D., University of Florida

Principle 1: Learning analytics must benefit the learner*

Operating under the principle, "first do no harm," learning analytics efforts and outputs should be focused first and foremost on student learning and support, including improvement of the Teaching and Learning environment. Learning analytics should not focus solely on deficit models that target underperforming students or those considered to be "at risk." Potential benefits from the use of learning analytics in any given context should always be thoughtfully considered in the light of potential harms in that context, particularly unintended ones. 

Principle 2: Learning analytics must respect the dignity of all learners

Learners are individuals that should not be wholly defined by the data collected about them. Learners should have a voice in how their learner data is used. Learners should be actively engaged with their learning analytics data and resulting decision-making. Equity and inclusion should also be important considerations.

Principle 3: Learning analytics must respect the privacy of individuals

Thoughtful consideration should always be made about whether it is contextually appropriate or necessary to use personally identifiable data in any particular learning analytics context. Whenever possible, learning analytics data should be anonymized, de-identified or aggregated. Personally identifiable information gleaned from learning analytics should only be shared with properly authorized individuals, and should only be used to provide services that either directly inform or benefit the specific individual, with data used only in ways that provide concrete and measurable impact on learning. 

Principle 4: Learning analytics must be transparent to relevant stakeholders

Learners should have a clear understanding about how their learning analytics data is collected, used, analyzed, and reported. The teaching and learning community should have a clear understanding about the purposes behind any data collection, data modeling, hypothesis creation and testing, and reporting and data visualizations. Who has access to data and how that data is analyzed (methods, hypotheses and assumptions, etc.) along with institutional use of and responses to such data should be expressed and updated in a public-facing domain.

Principle 5: Learning analytics must have accountability structures

Unizin, its member institutions and learning analytics practitioners have an ethical obligation to ensure accountability regarding learning analytics initiatives. The integrity of data and suitability of methods leveraged for decisions and actions should be routinely and rigorously evaluated. Analyses should recognize and mitigate bias and strive to minimize adverse impact on individual students or group of students. Learning analytics models, practices, policies, and decisions should be continuously monitored to ensure the appropriate balance between improved learning outcomes and ethical considerations.

* Learner: Anyone engaging in the act of learning. Learners may include students taking a class, faculty and staff engaging in professional development, and members of the public taking publicly-available courses through an institution.