Privacy in Education

Privacy, specifically in education, has been a growing topic in the past decade due to the growth of education technology and the creation of national databases (Privacy in Education, n.d.). The development of data and learning analytic tools in education has been linked with improving education (Reidenberg & Schaub, 2018). Data collection is obtained through educational tools with which the students regularly interact and share information. The collection of information from educational technology has created tension in regard to the privacy of students, thus creating a call for action for privacy in education.

Expectation of Privacy for Students

The expectation for privacy in education for students should be a normative The expectation for privacy in education for students should be a normative standard. In a recent case in February 2019, a male teacher was charged with voyeurism, specifically targeting female students (Salis, 2019). The expectation for privacy must be identified in a contextual approach and consider factors regarding the circumstance where the privacy was infiltrated. After reviewing the factors in this case, the court ruled that there was a justifiable instance where students had a reasonable expectation of privacy. This case should provide insight into what kind of privacy expectations students expect. The expectation from every student must be a normative guideline. The degree of expected privacy can’t be a descriptive standard that the students identify but instead must be an expectation acceptable and normal to societal standards.

Challenging Student Privacy

The acceptable and appropriate situation in which an institution or instructor can challenge student privacy and disclose information is for health/safety reasons and law enforcement investigations. Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) in BC, there is a list of particular circumstances where personal information must be disclosed without the individual’s consent. The index consists of emergencies, privacy issues, and law enforcement agencies. If any of the circumstances fall under the circumstances above, then instructors and institutions may go ahead and challenge student privacy.

University of Victoria Privacy Policies

How easy to find, access and understand were the privacy policies that you uncovered?

Finding and locating the Protection of Privacy Policy for the University of Victoria was simple and only required a Google search of “the University of Victoria privacy policy.” Accessing the privacy policy required downloading a PDF. At the beginning of the policy, the associated procedures were outlined for specific instances regarding privacy. The guidelines were easy to understand as each procedure outlined the purpose and definitions that met the description of the procedures.

Before searching for them, were you aware of these policies?

As I have taken courses that have explored privacy ethics, specifically in healthcare, I am familiar with the Protection of Privacy Policy and FIPPA standards utilized by the University of Victoria.

Did you find anything surprising or concerning within the policies?

There was nothing I found that was necessarily concerning or surprising. The only thing that surprised me was the need to download the whole privacy policy. Compared with other privacy policies such as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other university policies, the access was in the form of a web page rather than a PDF download.

Reflection

I decided to choose this module as it is essential to know the privacy rights of individuals and how personal information is kept and stored. As someone who wants to work in the healthcare industry one day, it is crucial to understand privacy policies since it contains lots of personal information, leaving them vulnerable to data breaches. Choosing this module has helped me understand the expectation for privacy and the particular circumstances where a breach of privacy is required. Additionally, it has given me insight into privacy policies in an educational setting compared to a healthcare setting with which I was more familiar.

References

Privacy In Education. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://iapp.org/resources/topics/privacy-in-education/

Reidenberg, J. R., & Schaub, F. (2018). Achieving big data privacy in education. Theory and Research in Education, 16(3), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878518805308

Salis, R. F. de. (2019, March 4). The Supreme Court of Canada rules on expectations of privacy in schools. Harris. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://harrisco.com/the-supreme-court-of-canada-rules-on-expectations-of-privacy-in-schools/