As I drove to work earlier this month, I heard a story on CBC Radio from a parent who refused to sign a consent form for their child to use Google Classrooms in their school. They had privacy concerns and were upset that there was no alternative considered for those who may not sign the consent form. In this scenario, the student was able to complete their work, using Google Classrooms, signed in as the teacher – obviously not ideal.

The parent is also from British Columbia, so as I researched the article further and realized this, I understood some of their concerns. In Canada, British Columbia and Nova Scotia have some of the strictest privacy regulations when it comes to storing student data. In most cases, the data must be stored within Canada; however, in this scenario Google Classrooms information was being stored in the United States.

I understand the concern for privacy, but my reservations are here:

• How valuable is the data of K-12 students (this situation)? I’m sure someone well-versed in data analytics might be able to explain this to me. I admittedly am ignorant in thinking “how will that student’s book report become monetized or valued otherwise?”
• With all of the skimmed through and accepted privacy policies for everything we interact with online, I feel as though education is a smaller fish to fry in terms of sharing information. Am I wrong?
• Where will we be 10-20 years from now if we refuse to allow our children to access valuable resources within the classroom?

I pushed all of this aside for a few weeks, and then last night I ran into this interesting Educause article, Setting the Table: Responsible Use of Student Data in Higher Education, and it got me thinking about student data again. This article is related to student data use in higher education, so it’s a bit different than the concerns discussed in the CBC article, and the article is written from an American lens, so I’m confident there would be further implications related to student data use in Canada (at least in British Columbia and Nova Scotia).

In any event, the Educause article discussed a project aimed at generating a set of principles “that might frame institutional policies on the use of student data in the digital era.” (Kurzweil & Stevens, 2018) The article further discussed innovative ways institutions are using student data, such as admissions, enrolment management, and to enhance overall student performance. From their research, four main tenets emerged:

1. Shared Understanding
2. Transparency
3. Informed Improvement
4. Open Futures

These tenets are meant to guide the responsible use of student data across institutions, which is great. However, I’m still left thinking that there is a lot to do in terms of institutional policies with regard to use of student data, and I still don’t think the framing principles respond to the concerns of vigilant K-12 parents.

Basically, I’m confused. How do institutions move forward and ensure student data is protected and that privacy regulations are respected, while attempting to leverage innovative technologies that may increase student engagement, performance, and overall satisfaction? If you have any insight, please leave a comment, because all I have are questions upon questions.

Also, if you’re interested in learning more about Instructional Design, I have a 10-module comprehensive course (Essentials of Instructional Design) launching over at Sprout E-Learning on July 13th. You can save $150 on this course until June 29th.

Check it out on Sprout E-Learning!

If you’re on the fence, be sure to check out the Course Outline and Course Brochure!

When I meet new people and they ask me what I do, I tell them I’m an Instructional Designer, and it’s usually met with very confused looks. Very few people I’ve encountered know what Instructional Design is – heck, I didn’t even know what Instructional Design was at one point!

Most Instructional Designers I know still don’t have a concise explanation for what it is that they do. When I was working on military contracts, I used to say “I develop aircraft maintenance training.”…and when people found out that I didn’t have a military or aircraft maintenance background, they were immediately concerned.

Now, my typical jokey response is “I make training suck less.” My realistic response is “I use instructional design principles and theories to develop and deliver effective training.” The jokey response is typically better understood from those outside of the industry.

As I mentioned previously, when I first started my career in Instructional Design, I didn’t know what the heck Instructional Design was, and I spent a long time developing myself, learning, and practicing the theories and principles.

I’ve since determined that I want to spread the gospel of Instructional Design, and I know there are many aspiring Instructional Designers out there, or individuals working as Instructional Designers who are just trying to figure it all out like I was. For the past three years, I’ve been part-time faculty at a local university where I teach Introduction to Instructional Design as part of a Masters of Education program. I also work as a full-time Instructional Designer at a local college where part of my role is to teach faculty members how to teach/facilitate online courses.

Knowing that there is a huge training gap for many Instructional Designers and wanting to offer an economical, but thorough solution, Essentials of Instructional Design was born. Essentials of Instructional Design launches on July 13th, and for only three more days is available at a $150 discount (plus bonuses), and is a comprehensive 10-module course that explores the theoretical underpinnings and principles of the unicorn that is Instructional Design.

My goal with this course is to provide aspiring Instructional Designers or those new to the field with an in-depth exploration of the principles and theories involved in a practice near and dear to my heart. I never aspired to stand in front of students and teach (a la K-12 style), but as soon as I discovered that I could work behind the scenes in the field of education, I was SOLD, and I know there are a lot of people out there in a similar situation.

If you’re interested, check out the Course Outline and Course Brochure, and register for Essentials of Instructional Design!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will I receive a certificate? Yes. You will receive a certificate of completion from Sprout E-Learning.
• How long will I have access? Indefinitely. If any changes are made, you will be notified, but you will have access to this content indefinitely. You will also be notified if updates are made to course content.
• Do I need to complete the course within a certain period of time? No. This course is 100% asynchronous. You can complete the course and assignments on your own time.