34 Data Privacy in Education

Students face several specific data privacy concerns in addition to the general protection of their personal and academic information. For example, online learning platforms collect extensive data on students’ activities, such as login times, participation levels, and content interactions. Ensuring the security of this data is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and misuse.

Campus Wi-Fi networks are another area of concern, as unsecured networks can expose students’ devices and information to potential breaches. The use of third-party apps and services by colleges, which may not always have robust privacy protections, further increases the risk of data leaks. Surveillance on campuses, through cameras and monitoring tools, raises questions about the extent of monitoring and the use of collected data.

Furthermore, colleges are targets for cyberattacks, which can lead to significant data breaches, exposing sensitive student information. Additionally, with the integration of health services on campuses, students’ medical records also require stringent protection to ensure privacy and compliance with regulations like FERPA and GDPR.

Addressing these concerns necessitates strong data security policies, comprehensive student awareness programs, and adherence to legal frameworks to safeguard student data effectively.

This work was generated in collaboration with ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0