Learning Analytics in HE Ethics Niall Sclater @sclater Dublin eLearning Summer School Dublin Institute of Technology 22nd June 2016

“learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs” SoLAR – Society for Learning Analytics Research

Applications of learning analytics

Early alert and student success

Recommender systems

Adaptive learning

Curriculum design A key piece of learning content is not being accessed by most students. Some students are not participating well in collaborative work. A particular minority group is underperforming in an aspect of the curriculum. Students across several discussion groups are making only minimal contributions to their forums

Student-facing tools

From your perspective, what’s the biggest ethical problem with learning analytics?

$100m plus pumped in by the Gates Foundation and others

“It is clear now that there are things we should have done differently “It is clear now that there are things we should have done differently. For example, we should have considered other non-experimental ways to do this research. The research would also have benefited from more extensive review by a wider and more senior group of people. Last, in releasing the study, we failed to communicate clearly why and how we did it.” Mike Schroepfer, Chief Technology Officer, Facebook http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/10/research-at-facebook/

Education is different

The obligation of knowing If the analytics tell us that a student is likely to drop out do we have a responsibility to do something about it?

The problem of flawed or inadequate data Teacher setting up test account Enmeshed identities IP address may not relate to an individual at all

Predictions are not always valid or correct Confusion between causation and correlation

Loss of autonomy Could student autonomy in decision making be undermined by predictive analytics? Are we infantilising students by spoon-feeding them with automated suggestions? Are we creating echo chambers to reinforce our ideas?

Potential demotivation of students Self-fulfilling prophecy? As algorithms get more sophisticated will the effect intensify.

Negative impacts of continual monitoring Will a student whose ebook usage is being monitored feel

Manipulation of the analytics by students Student at the door of the library But gaming the system could be spotted by more intelligent systems

Prejudicial categorisation and treatment of students Race Mental health Increase social differentials among students But could help to identify issues of prejudice and differential treatment

Reduction of the individual to a metric Beware of simplistic metrics which reduce an individual to a traffic light. Much of the data is outside the institution and difficult or impossible to capture Systems don’t know the reasons for a student’s failure to engage.

Triage

Should students be asked for their consent to collect data about them for use in learning analytics?

The logistics of collecting consent “Allow us to collect data about your learning activities or quit your studies now” not a fair choice

Allowing students to opt out Consent is arguably meaningless if there is no realistic option to opt out. Software can’t function without collecting data Impact on other students Impact on individual Analysing patients’ records can have benefits for whole society

Should interventions always be mediated by a human?

Data stewardship

European Data Protection Directive Data must be: processed fairly and lawfully obtained only for specific lawful purposes adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes kept accurate and up to date kept for no longer than is necessary for those purposes processed in accordance with the data subject's rights kept safe from unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage to the data not transferred outside the European Economic Area unless that country has equivalent levels of protection for processing personal data

EU General Data Protection Regulation proposed “to strengthen privacy rights and boost Europe’s digital economy” Right to be forgotten Easier access to your own data Putting you in control Data protection first, not an afterthought

Anonymisation

Unknown future uses of the data

External access to student data

Giving students access to their data

Available from Effective learning analytics blog: analytics Available from Effective learning analytics blog: analytics.jiscinvolve.org

86 issues in 9 groups Group Name Question Main type Importance Responsibility 2 Consent Adverse impact of opting out on individual If a student is allowed to opt out of data collection and analysis could this have a negative impact on their academic progress? Ethical 1 Analytics Committee 7 Action Conflict with study goals What should a student do if the suggestions are in conflict with their study goals? 3 Student 8 Adverse impact Oversimplification How can institutions avoid overly simplistic metrics and decision making which ignore personal circumstances? Educational researcher 86 issues in 9 groups

Group Name Question Main type Importance Responsibility 2 Consent Adverse impact of opting out on individual If a student is allowed to opt out of data collection and analysis could this have a negative impact on their academic progress? Ethical 1 Analytics Committee 7 Action Conflict with study goals What should a student do if the suggestions are in conflict with their study goals? 3 Student 8 Adverse impact Oversimplification How can institutions avoid overly simplistic metrics and decision making which ignore personal circumstances? Educational researcher

jisc.ac.uk/guides/code-of-practice-for-learning-analytics

jisc.ac.uk/guides/code-of-practice-for-learning-analytics

jisc.ac.uk/guides/code-of-practice-for-learning-analytics

@sclater sclater.com/blog