Given growing interest in K-12 data and data science education, new approaches are needed to help students develop robust understandings of and familiarity with data. The model of the "quantified self"--in which data about one's own activities are collected and made into objects of study--provides inspiration for one such approach. By…

Against the backdrop of the ever-increasing influx of big data, this article examines the opportunities and concerns over big data in education. Specifically, this article first introduces big data, followed by delineating the potential opportunities of using big data in education in two areas: learning analytics and educational policy. Then, the…

Studies have shown that issues of privacy, control of data, and trust are essential to implementation of learning analytics systems. If these issues are not addressed appropriately, systems will tend to collapse due to a legitimacy crisis, or they will not be implemented in the first place due to resistance from learners, their parents, or their…

Schools have become ground zero for clashes over transgender rights, and critics are denouncing academic institutions--and more recently, the Obama administration--for supporting transgender students in their right to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. This article responds to the seven most common claims made by…

This research ethics article focuses on an unexpected finding from my Master's thesis examining bereaved participants' experiences of taking part in sensitive qualitative research: some participants wanted their real names used in my written dissertation and any subsequent empirical publications. While conducting interviews for my thesis and…

In this article I reflect on my experiences of using Facebook as a recruitment tool. Although there were many benefits associated with using this method of recruitment, there were also several unanticipated ethical dilemmas that arose. This article reflects on these dilemmas, locating them within some broader concerns around online research and…

This article reports on a study exploring student perspectives on the collection and use of student data for learning analytics. With data collected via a mixed methods approach from 2,051 students across six Australian universities, it provides critical insights from students as a key stakeholder group. Findings indicate that while students are…

This paper shows how a gamified agile process for distributed teamwork can be used for teaching purposes. It reflects the learnings from using a time-constrained work environment -- the epic bedtime story game -- at a university course. Within three course hours, 42 students in an undergraduate course on Informatics and Society collaboratively…

The study sought to examine the intention to use smartphones technology as learning tools (mobile-learning) in universities in Botswana, with particular reference to a selected university. Preliminary investigations have shown that despite the high density of mobile phones in Botswana, very few of these devices seem to be used for learning…

Feedback can have a positive effect on student performance in the classroom, however not all feedback is equal, and some types of feedback can actually worsen performance. Little is known about whether existing evidence-based reading programs provide the feedback that has been shown to enhance student performance. The purpose of this study was to…

The emergence of big data in educational contexts has led to new data-driven approaches to support informed decision making and efforts to improve educational effectiveness. Digital traces of student behavior promise more scalable and finer-grained understanding and support of learning processes, which were previously too costly to obtain with…

Childhood is a key stage in the assimilation of values and behavioural patterns that shape identity. Among the socializing agents that influence this complex process are the audiovisual media. Therefore, the products that are made available to children and the protection of the child from harmful contents are essential to complete the training…

In this article, the authors discuss the results of a study of the perceptions of a national sample of economics faculty members from various institutions regarding the use of social media as a teaching tool in and out of the economics classroom. In the past few years, social media has become globally popular, and its use is ubiquitous among…

In the socio-technical imaginary of higher education, algorithmic decision-making offers huge potential, but we also cannot deny the risks and ethical concerns. In fleeing from Frankenstein's monster, there is a real possibility that we will meet Kafka on our path, and not find our way out of the maze of ethical considerations in the nexus between…

Many IS courses address the issues of ethical decision making and privacy through full course or section of a larger course. In this paper, the author discusses the development of a series of activities in an IS2010.07 course. The primary purpose of these activities is to raise awareness by the students of issues dealing with the collection,…