3/3/2021 3:02:48 PM | less than a minute read

From Cradle to College: What student data needs protection under FERPA while using remote learning technology?

Michael Best

So inspiring to see the next generation of leaders raise awareness of data privacy in the education sector! Students are becoming more aware of when, how and what data is being collected about them during this novel time and some are requiring more oversight of the data collected through remote learning technology. We have been strenuously suggesting that our higher education clients follow best practices for evaluating remote technology vendors and that they include strong risk-shifting clauses in the vendors' Service Level Agreements. These actions benefit not only the university - by mitigating liability under FERPA - but also protect the student body.

EdTech companies must acknowledge the ethical implications of their current data collection practices. Federal and state governments must pursue stricter oversight to restrict the capture and flow of student data. *** And, somewhere in the middle, universities must demonstrate that these delicate, complex forces are being appropriately and deliberately evaluated when deciding the future uses of online learning infrastructure. Hasty concessions of privacy have no place in the future of education, and the discussion must start today.

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