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Ethical Codes and Learning Analytics
Ethical Codes and Learning Analytics

Author(s): Stephen Downes
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Education, Higher Education
Published by: European Distance and E-Learning Network
Keywords: Social Justice, Inclusivity and Digital Learning; Big Data in Education and Learning Analytics; Artificial Intelligence

Summary/Abstract: The growth and development of learning analytics has placed a range of new capacities into the hands of educational institutions. At the same time, this increased capacity has raised a range of ethical issues. A common approach to address these issues is to develop an ethical code of conduct for practitioners. Such codes of conduct are drawn from similar codes in other disciplines. Some authors assert that there are fundamental tenets common to all such codes. This paper consists of an analysis of ethical codes from other disciplines. It argues that while there is some overlap, there is no set of principles common to all disciplines. The ethics of learning analytics will therefore need to be developed on criteria specific to education. We conclude with some ideas about how this ethic will be determined and what it may look like.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 20-72
  • Page Count: 53
  • Language: English