David Navetta writes:
Educational institutions at all levels have begun to realize that they hold a treasure trove of student-related information, that if analyzed using “Big Data” techniques, could yield valuable insights to further their educational missions.
Of course, as one can imagine, Big Data projects using student-related information can implicate significant privacy issues. Schools are regulated under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts Statute, and depending on a school’s specific activities may be subject to GLB and HIPAA. In addition, many educational institutions have internal policy and public-facing privacy policies that apply to, and may limit, the collection, use and disclosure of student personal information. The impact of applicable privacy laws and existing privacy-related policies should be taken into account well before engaging in a Big Data project. We have looked at Big Data privacy issues generally before, and the following is a framework for analyzing high level legal considerations and action items for educational institutions considering Big Data projects involving student-related information.
I won’t say that I’m tired, but I just read his first sentence as “to further their educational mistakes.” Freud is having a field day…
You can read David’s actual framework as he wrote it on InfoLawGroup.