2018 State of EdTech Privacy Reports
Common Sense Privacy Evaluation Initiative, July 2018, Girard Kelly, Jeff Graham and Bill Fitzgerald
Over the course of three years, researchers at Common Sense looked at how student data is used at over 150 school districts across the US. Researchers examined 25 distinct indicators under the umbrella of transparency and quality. For additional details on findings for the individual indicators, see the full report.
California Passes Major Privacy Bill, Averting a Ballot Showdown in November
Government Technology, June 28, 2018, Dawn Kawamoto
California passed AB375, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and it was signed into law by the governor in June. As a result of this new law, Californians can “ask companies what information they are collecting on them; why it was collected; which third party category received it; demand that it be deleted and the information not be sold.” Many privacy experts agree that this legislation is a step forward, not only for California but for other states considering data privacy legislation.
Beyond FERPA: Five Tips For Protecting Student Data
EdWeek, June 25, 2018, Sarah Schwartz
A panel session held at the International Society for Technology in Education conference in Chicago in June discussed questions around the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Suggestions offered to the audience included holding companies to high data-privacy standards; asking vendors about “data sunsets” (when student data is deleted); having a district policy outlining who reviews products, and what they're looking for; not attempting to side-step FERPA; and being transparent.
Transparency and the Marketplace for Student Data
Virginia Journal of Law and Technology, June 6, 2018, N. Cameron Russell, Joel R. Reidenberg, Elizabeth Martin and Thomas B. Norton
In a new report from Fordham University, researchers studied how the commercial marketplace for student information works in conjunction with student privacy laws. By studying “the types of commercial solicitations students receive, the identities of data brokers confirmed to advertise the sale of student information, sources of student data in the commercial marketplace, the types of student data offered for sale, and the ways in which data brokers package it,” researchers determined that there was a lack of transparency in the marketplace and a lack of legislation to protect student data. The researchers provided four main recommendations regarding the disparity in regulations around the marketplace for student data.
In the Aftermath of Net Neutrality, District Leaders Should Be Proactive With Service Providers, Experts Say
The 74 Million, July 8, 2018, Laura Fay
With the end of net neutrality on June 11, many schools and districts are left wondering how they should deal with internet service providers possibly slowing down connectivity and increasing prices. In order to mitigate these concerns, Reg Leichty, a lobbyist for the Consortium for School Networking, makes three main suggestions for districts to consider: recognize and address potential changes in services when contracting with internet service providers; make note of any issues and file necessary reports with the Federal Trade Commission; and work with other districts to share and exchange ideas about how to advocate for regulations.
Prepare Your IT Infrastructure for Immersive Learning
EdTech Magazine, July 26, 2018, Dave Doucette
Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology in higher education that is gaining momentum. Use of VR in the higher ed classroom requires a significant amount of bandwidth on wireless networks. As VR becomes more popular, institutions should be aware of how best to accommodate bandwidth, security and storage.
Universities Look to Improve Bandwidth as Streaming Demand Rises
EdTech Magazine, June 26, 2018, Eli Zimmerman
While video streaming has been widely used for recreational purposes, it is now gaining steam as a useful tool in higher ed classrooms. Surveys indicate that video streaming and online learning help students learn classroom content. As more higher education institutions use this content, they must make sure that the infrastructure is in place to handle it. University of Minnesota, for example, will add over 10,000 access points to increase connectivity on campus.
Could an Up-and-Coming Technology Make Your Campus Stand Out?
eCampus News, June 25, 2018, Jami Milner
Ultra-high definition, or 4K resolution, is a technology available on the latest computers, televisions, tablets and mobile phones and can also be used in educational environments. While the cost of 4K resolution technology can be high, it can impact students and the future of learning in a positive way by allowing students and instructors to create shared content; improving distance learning opportunities; enhancing video conferences; boosting images in engineering and design courses; and enhancing video simulations.
How Peer Collaboration Technology Prepares Students for Careers
Emerging EdTech, June 14, 2018, Christina Sanders
Students engaging in peer collaboration via technology, such as Google Docs, gain more than just the hard skills to complete tasks. Using peer collaborative technology tools, students learn soft skills such as problem solving, decision making and creativity. These hard and soft skills transfer to job-related skills necessary in the workforce.
Survey: Most Students Say Online Learning Is as Good or Better Than Face-to-Face
Campus Technology, June 18, 2018, Dian Schaffhauser
In a survey of 1,500 students conducted by Learning House and Aslanian Market Research, most students who have taken online courses consider those courses to be as good as or better than attending courses in a physical classroom. The survey explored areas such as whether the students had achieved the original goals they set when enrolling in online programs, the factors students considered when enrolling, and how students would proceed if they found that their program of choice was not offered in an online format.
How Digital and Media Literacy Impacts Today's Classroom
The Tech Edvocate, June 4, 2018, Matthew Lynch
A recent study from Stanford University determined that many students do not know how to assess the credibility of the information they read online. Such a lack of judgement skills for digital content can potentially be troublesome when students need to make informed decisions as they become adults. To circumvent this problem, teachers may need to consider addressing issues such as “privacy and security, digital footprint and reputation, copyright laws, appropriate communication, and cyberbullying.”
The Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Digital Literacy, Cyber Hygiene and More
EdTech Magazine, April 17, 2018, Meghan Bogardus Cortez
As K-12 students learn how to access content in digital form, it is important for teachers to address how to navigate this content and be good digital citizens. Kelly Mendoza, of Common Sense Education, recommends teaching digital citizenship at the Elementary level mainly by addressing online safety and how the online world connects to the real world. As students get to middle grades and high school, their digital citizenship lessons should consist of managing data privacy, recognizing ethical dilemmas and understanding their digital footprint.
Commentary: Bridging the Digital Skills Gap in St. Louis
St. Louis Business Journal, Jul 12, 2018, Haley Shoaf
Facebook’s Community Boost training program started this spring in St. Louis. With nearly one-third of St. Louis’ population having no internet access, the Discovery Program was developed. A partnership between the Community Boost and the St. Louis Public Library, the Discovery program offers introductory courses for those interested in pursing careers in computer programming and other tech-related fields.
Technology Security
“Peak ransomware”: Incidents Are Declining, but Attacks Are Increasingly Disruptive
New Statesman Tech, June 15, 2018, Oscar Willams
In June, researchers at Proofpoint determined that bank trojans were more troubling and disruptive than ransomware attacks during the first quarter of 2018. Hackers and other cybercriminals are going to extreme lengths to compromise data on hardware, external drives, and IT frameworks.
Georgia's First Cybersecurity Center Opens to the Public
EdScoop, July 9, 2018, Mark Satter
The new $100 million cybersecurity facility will be housed at the University of Augusta. The Hull McKnight Georgia Cyber Center for Innovation and Training is designed to strengthen state and federal systems against cyberattacks. The center is run in collaboration with the Georgia Technology Authority, US Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, the City of Augusta, the University System of Georgia, and state, federal and private sector partners.
Digital Accessibility
Report: Accessibility in Digital Learning Increasingly Complex
Campus Technology, July 18, 2018, Dian Shaffhauser
The first report in a series by the Online Learning Consortium has been released regarding digital accessibility in K-12 and higher education. The report discusses laws governing how access applies to online learning, legal cases that can assist with the design of online courses, unique issues to K-12 and higher education, and the support systems needed to design courses from K-12 to higher education.
Policy
Chicago Drops SAT/ACT Requirement. Will Others Follow?
Inside Higher Ed, June 19, 2018, Scott Jaschik
The University of Chicago recently announced that it would no longer require undergraduate applicants to submit SAT or ACT test scores as a part of their application for enrollment. While many other colleges and universities have also begun dropping the test score requirement, University of Chicago is the first top tier university to do so. Robert Schaeffer of FairTest: The National Center for Fair and Open Testing indicated that other more selective institutions could follow suit. Other test and policy experts agree that Chicago’s decision will more than likely influence other institutes of higher education – small and large – to adopt test-optional admission policies.
The Dept. of Ed. Reorganization Plan is Out. Where Is the Office of EdTech?
EdSurge, June 21, 2018, Jenny Abamu and Sydney Johnson
The reorganization plan for the departments of Education and Labor proposed by the current Administration in June combines the two departments and leaves out the Office of Education Technology (OET), currently housed in the Department of Education. While official dissolving of OET would require congressional legislation, many officials believe that if the reorganization plan is accepted and implemented, OET will not be dissolved but merged into other offices.
