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Releasing Personal Information Within Learning Analytics Systems

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Learning Technologies for Transforming Large-Scale Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Abstract

Besides the well-documented benefits of learning analytics, serious concerns and challenges are associated with the application of these data-driven systems. Most notably, empirical evidence regarding privacy issues such as for learning analytics is next to nothing. The purpose of this study was to investigate if students are prepared to release any personal data in order to inform learning analytics systems. A total of 330 university students participated in an exploratory study confronting them with learning analytics systems and associated issues of control of data and sharing of information. Findings indicate that sharing of data for educational purposes is correlated to study-related constructs, usage of Internet, awareness of control over data, and expected benefits from a learning analytics system. Based on the relationship between the willingness to release personal data for learning analytics systems and various constructs closely related to individual characteristics of students, it is concluded that students need to be equally involved when implementing learning analytics systems at higher education institutions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Dirk Ifenthaler

  2. Economic and Business Education, Learning, Design and Technology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Dirk Ifenthaler

  3. University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Clara Schumacher

Authors
  1. Dirk Ifenthaler
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  2. Clara Schumacher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk Ifenthaler .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece

    Demetrios Sampson  & Stylianos Sergis  & 

  2. School of Education, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Demetrios Sampson

  3. Department of Learning Technologies, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    J. Michael Spector

  4. Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Dirk Ifenthaler

  5. Economic and Business Education Learning, Design and Technology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Dirk Ifenthaler

  6. Institute for Teaching & Learning Innovation (ITaLI), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Pedro Isaías

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Ifenthaler, D., Schumacher, C. (2019). Releasing Personal Information Within Learning Analytics Systems. In: Sampson, D., Spector, J.M., Ifenthaler, D., Isaías, P., Sergis, S. (eds) Learning Technologies for Transforming Large-Scale Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15130-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15130-0_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-15129-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-15130-0

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