Privacy and data protection drive edtech adoption trends

Key points:

technology-enabled learning is a pillar of education and a priority for IT directors as they navigate changes in regulation, vulnerability, and best practices in student data management.

Many who initially relied on policies like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), or the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) as the standard now view them as a baseline and are doing much more instead.

Below are several trends that are emerging:

Data security is the number one priority

Protecting student data and privacy is non-negotiable and that has not changed since the first technological tools appeared. Cybersecurity is classified as a maximum concern For IT leaders: Attacks continue to increase. Cyberattacks and ransomware attacks targeting schools and districts have affected more than 2.5 million students.

In response to these threats, school leaders are creating data classification frameworks, establishing firm rules for data sharing, updating technical policies, increasing district-wide data privacy training, and auditing current systems. They are being more specific about how vendors can use and protect data, and how they protect it from cyberattacks. IT teams are putting pressure on vendors on the ways in which meta- and personally identifiable data is captured and used, and they are demanding detailed backup and disaster recovery plans.

Each measure contributes to the layers needed to protect students and the school.

Easy to find and understand standards requirements

The expansion of educational technology security and safety assessment is accompanied by a growing preference for transparency and clarity from vendors. Many IT directors do not have enough time to read complicated legal jargon and statements. half a million educational apps available for learning, as well as countless edtech tools beyond apps. edtech-top40″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Data from 2023 reported that educators manage an average of 42 learning apps and devices each day.Overwhelmed by the volume, school IT professionals ask us to make it easier for them to find and understand what works.

Claire Archibold, DPO for schools and information governance consultant at Education Data Hub, told me that IT teams are favouring vendors that present clear information about security measures. Archibold said: “We see a lot of privacy and data protection information from edtech vendors – some are fabulous, some are… well… not so fabulous. But when we look at the data protection information, we can see that it's not as good as it seems.” A specific solution“We sighed with satisfaction. It is easy to read, contains all the necessary information, a clear link to a Data Processing Agreement, which is then incorporated into the Terms of Use, and even includes a vendor RFI document containing all the technical information for our data protection due diligence.”

Fostering and promoting healthy digital engagement

Today, educators and IT managers are more attentive to creating a safe and positive experience for students through the learning tools and administrative technology employed in the district. For IT managers and administrators, that has meant being more vigilant in selecting products that promote well-being and protect students.

District policies for selecting those products based on how well they protect student data and well-being is a strict and serious matter, typically managed by cross-departmental teams of district administrative staff and senior IT management. It’s a collaboration that makes sense, because IT is charged with keeping the checks and balances in place, while district administrators focus on the holistic view of the student.

With online safety software, for example, these teams determine who and how much access and control is granted by department (like teachers, for example) and even by individual (like the school nurse). Through online safety software, they create monitoring and intervention policies and alerts for concerning phrases and words. These alerts could indicate that a student is being bullied or is in danger of self-harm, which, when received by authorized personnel, prompts them to take approved actions to hopefully prevent the unimaginable from happening.

technology and human supervision work together to protect and support students

Ever since the first computers appeared, educators have been concerned about the amount and type of digital content that students are using every day. I think this topic is worth further discussion, as difficult as it may be, and even more so now that there is a rise in alarmingly convincing phishing sites and “bad actors” trying to trick young people and adults. This 2023/24 study reports that 21 percent of young people aged 12-27 have fallen victim to phishing scams..

As threats increase, IT directors are giving educators more ways to steer students away from harmful (or even benign, but more serious) threats. amusing, sites) to keep students focused on learning. Classroom management software (cloud-based or web-based) and built-in measurement features allow teachers to see who students are collaborating with and what websites and apps they are using.

There is another layer of support, however. Rather than relying solely on teachers to monitor online activity, leaders are leveraging technology to automate enforcement. With the right IT management solution, established lists of allowed and restricted sites and apps can be used school-wide, and even made accessible only at certain times of the day. That kind of proactive management eases everyone’s workload, and in this age of rapid technological innovation, it has become vital.

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies, coupled with the pressure on already overstretched teams, means that urgent action is needed. IT teams are already struggling with insufficient resources. Two-thirds of CTOs report that their resources to combat cybersecurity issues are insufficient. Add to this the need to figure out how to safely adopt ai-based tools, find ways to protect student data, privacy, and social-emotional well-being, foster healthy learning environments, and maintain trust with internal and external stakeholders while navigating the onslaught of new technologies. All of this requires careful planning.