The increasing demand for privacy-preserving, ethically aligned synthetic data generation in education has highlighted the limitations of existing tabular data generators. Traditional approaches often sacrifice fairness or privacy in pursuit of predictive accuracy, rendering them unsuitable for high-stakes academic settings. In this paper, we…

Data are fundamental to Learning Analytics (LA) research and practice. However, the ethical use of data, particularly in terms of respecting learners' privacy rights, is a potential barrier that could hinder the widespread adoption of LA in the education industry. Despite the policies and guidelines of privacy protection being available worldwide,…

Data ethics have emerged as an essential topic in education. Educators must know how to use data effectively and responsibly. This is a complex and systemic issue that involves bringing awareness to all stakeholders, building human capacity, modifying policy, and considering equitable solutions to data use. This article posits an initial framework…

Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) often rely on personal identifiers to securely link individual-level data across early childhood, K-12, higher education, and the workforce. However, different sectors use different types of personal identifiers which can make accurately connecting records difficult. Driver's license data offers a single…

Learning analytics are starting to become standardized in higher education as institutions use the techniques of Big Data analytics to make decisions to help them reach their goals. The widespread use of student information brings forth ethical concerns primarily in relation to privacy. While the overarching ethical issues related to learning…

Online proctoring systems are employed to monitor students during exams, safeguarding assessment integrity when in-person observation is not feasible. The systems leverage advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and biometrics, to authenticate students and identify potential exam rule violations. However, concerns about data…

This article explores potential uses, misuses, beneficiaries, and tensions of learning analytics in higher education. While those promoting and using learning analytics generally agree that ethical practice is imperative, and student privacy and rights are important, navigating the complex maze of ethical dilemmas can be challenging, particularly…

Integrity, security, and sustained investment in data systems are critical for state agencies and stakeholders to effectively harness information to inform policy and decision-making in postsecondary education. Recognizing this crucial need, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has led the charge with its State…

The Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (NSWERS) is a state longitudinal data system (SLDS) that coordinates data sharing, processing, and dissemination efforts across the Nebraska public school systems, Nebraska community colleges, the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska Department of Labor, and other statewide…

As a result of the growing commercial marketplace for teachers' digital data, a new organization that includes educational data brokers has evolved. Educational data brokerage is relatively intangible due to the ease of de-identified data being collected and sold via educational technology. There is an urgent need to expose how the brokerage of…

Learning analytics are increasingly used in medical education to analyze data and make decisions about learners' abilities. While there are many potential benefits of using learning analytics to drive improvement in medical education, there are also ethical concerns surrounding how this may affect learners and their patients. We conducted a…

High-volume, high-quality and diverse datasets are crucial for advancing research in the education field. However, such datasets often contain sensitive information that poses significant privacy challenges. Traditional anonymisation techniques fail to meet the privacy standards required by regulations like GDPR, prompting the need for more robust…

State leaders have a responsibility to use their data systems to help students seamlessly navigate transitions from high school into college, workforce training programs, the military, and apprenticeships. Many state leaders are meeting this responsibility by establishing initiatives to make enrolling in postsecondary education and workforce…

Eight years of data from Grand Valley State University Libraries show a positive correlation between in-class library instruction and student reenrollment the following fall semester. Using consistent statistical methods over time, controlling for confounding factors, and using a large population (N>16,000 annually) and strict protocols that…

Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data methodologies have provided a vast possibility of applications in different public policy sectors. AI and big data provide essential innovations in school teaching and learning practices, curriculum, and management in education, transforming the entire formulation and implementation of education policy.…