As the Director of Quantitative Research and Data Science, as well as the Data Privacy Officer at Digital Promise, I aim to demystify the complex world of data privacy, particularly in the realm of education and AI tools. Having begun my journey as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee member during my graduate school years, I've been committed to upholding ethical principles in data usage, such as those outlined in The Belmont Report. Collaborating with researchers to ensure their work aligns with these principles has been a rewarding part of my career. Over the past decade, I've grappled with the nuances of anonymous and de-identified data, a challenge shared by many in this field. In a time when student data is being captured and used more prolifically than we know, understanding how privacy is maintained is crucial to protecting our learners.

Anonymous Versus De-Identified

In a time when student data is being captured and used more prolifically than we know, understanding how privacy is maintained is crucial to protecting our learners.

The Department of Education defines de-identified data as information from which personally identifiable details have been sufficiently removed or obscured, making it impossible to re-identify a person. However, it may still contain a unique identifier that could potentially re-identify the data.

Similarly, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) characterizes anonymous data as information that does not relate to any identified or identifiable individual or data that has been rendered anonymous to the extent that the data subject cannot be identified.

These definitions, while seemingly similar, often lack clarity and consistency in literature and research. A review of medical publications revealed that less than half of the papers discussing de-identification or anonymization provided clear definitions, and when definitions were provided, they frequently contradicted one another. De-identified data can be considered anonymized if enough potentially identifiable information is removed, as suggested in HIPAA data de-identification methods. Conversely, others contend that anonymous data is data from which identifiers were never collected, implying that de-identified data can never be truly anonymous.

Simplifying Data Privacy: Three Key Strategies for Educators

As AI tools become prolific in classrooms, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the nuance of these terms. Moreover, our news feeds are inundated with these conversations related to student privacy: Parents are concerned about data privacy, teachers reportedly don't know enough about student privacy and most school districts still lack data-privacy personnel.

In a time when the difference between anonymous and de-identified could matter greatly, what are educators to do about the data collected by AI tools they might use? I offer three overly simplified strategies.

1. Ask.

In 2020, Visual Capitalist developed a visualization of the length of the fine print for 14 popular apps and shared that the average American would need to set aside almost 250 hours to read all the digital contracts they accept while using online services.

Related Resources:

• Teaching Partner, Grading Assistant or Substitute Teacher?
• How Students Use AI to Design Solutions for Their Community
• How Using AI Optimizes Instruction and Learning in Secondary Writing
• Can AI Help Teachers With Grading?
• Expertise as Elaboration: Teachers’ Reflections on an AI Tool-Embedded Writing Rubric
• Personalizing Language Arts Education With AI Tools: A Teacher's Perspective
• AI in Higher Ed: Using What We Already Know About Good Teaching Practices

If you do not want to spend hours researching whether the company collects and uses anonymous or de-identified data and how it defines it, you can always ask. A few examples of these questions include:

• What data will you collect?
• Can that data be connected back to the students themselves?
• How will data be used?
• Can a student or parent/guardian request that their data be deleted (if you live in California, the answer is often Yes!), and how would they go about doing that?

2. Give Students Choice.

The Belmont Report states that in order to uphold the Respect for Persons principle, individuals should be given the opportunity to choose what shall and shall not happen to them and, by extension, their data. Providing students the opportunity to choose whether they want to use an AI tool that will make use of their data whenever possible upholds this important ethics standard and gives students autonomy as they traverse this tech-rich world.

3. Allow Parents to Consent.

A further look at the Respect for Persons principle shows that individuals with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The Common Rule, or the federal regulations that outline processes for ethical research in the United States, states that children are persons who have not yet attained the legal age for consent and are one of the many groups entitled to this protection. In a practical application, this means that permission is needed by parents or guardians for participation, in addition to the child’s consent.

To the greatest extent possible, parents should also have the opportunity to understand and agree to a child’s data being gathered and used.

Let’s Navigate the Nuances Together

As someone who has been thinking about how to best protect students’ data since before you could wear your iPhone on your wrist, I regularly rely on these three strategies to best uphold the ethical principles that have guided my career. I ask when I do not understand, I strive to give individuals autonomy over their choices and their data and I seek consent when additional protection is needed. While these three practices won’t allay every fear one may have about the use of AI in classrooms, they will allow you to gather the information you need to make better choices for your students, and I have confidence that we can navigate the nuance together!

Emerging technologies have the potential to reshape the educational landscape. From the earliest stages, as Pre-K parents search for activities and resources to nurture their child's growth, to K-12 schools adopting technology to improve student outcomes and operational efficiencies, the impact of modern learning tools is undeniable. The broader post-secondary landscape, including higher education and workforce development, has also quickly embraced online learning and up-skilling opportunities to better engage students and employees remotely.

Navigating this evolving landscape, edtech founders are confronted with many challenges in taking their products to market. Here’s how maintaining a focus on data, analytics and the responsible use of artificial intelligence can help edtech founders earn trust with their customers, unlock new opportunities and positively impact educational outcomes.

The AWS Education Accelerator application is now open. Apply now.

Key milestones in education innovation

Looking at the innovations in education over the last few decades shows how much the landscape has adapted and changed. In 2002, a critical transition occurred when 94 percent of public schools secured always-on broadband connections, granting educators and students increased access to rich media content. This was followed in 2006 with Amazon’s launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS), which enabled edtech entrepreneurs to build their solutions in the cloud, allowing them to rapidly and constantly iterate based on customers’ needs throughout the academic year.

By 2010, we saw a more intentional focus on learning standards, which provided curricular innovators an opportunity to develop materials tailored to the depth and rigor of the new standards, bypassing the constraints of outdated materials. Meanwhile, a trend that began in the 1990s was picking up steam — one-to-one computing. By 2015, technology had become an integral facet of learning, with devices ubiquitously present in students' hands.

Then, in March 2020, schools across the globe closed their doors, quickly pivoting to online instruction. Virtual classrooms became the norm. Edtech startups rapidly launched and scaled solutions, ranging from mental health supports to online proctoring tools. This abrupt transition not only changed the immediate education landscape but also left its mark on the future of education.

Today, as we navigate the post-pandemic era, the education industry is faced with numerous challenges, such as teacher shortages, declining enrollments and cybersecurity threats. Yet, this period is also marked by the promise of AI and the opportunity for educational institutions to develop robust partnerships with edtech startups to address these most pressing challenges.

Unique challenges of the education market

In education, alignment and collaboration are essential as edtech founders develop their go-to-market strategies. Founders must recognize that education sales involve multiple stakeholders, ensuring that varied perspectives are considered and the best solutions are adopted. They must align their planning to the academic calendar and the distinct buying cycles of the educational market.

Standards around security, compliance and compatibility are critical because they reinforce a commitment to safeguarding student information and ensuring quality solutions. And a recent push for evidence-based solutions with demonstrated efficacy increases the likelihood of positive implementations.

4 Ways to earn trust and unlock new opportunities with institutions

For edtech founders, the future is full of opportunities to reshape and elevate the learning experience. By maintaining a focus on data, analytics and the responsible use of AI, here are four ways founders can address some of the unique challenges in education to earn trust with customers and unlock new opportunities for growth.

1. Data privacy and security. Adherence to privacy laws, like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), is non-negotiable. Beyond compliance, data should include robust security measures to protect sensitive information and should be delivered in a way that is actionable and efficient for educators.
2. Evidence-based solutions. Educators want proof of efficacy. They want to know that what they're investing in delivers the intended outcomes. Furthermore, by harnessing data analytics, founders can collaborate closely with educators to refine instructional methodologies, refine product attributes and enhance learning materials.
3. Compatibility with existing systems. It’s essential for edtech solutions to integrate with existing systems. Adopting standardized data formats and helping to reduce the number of isolated systems leads to a more streamlined experience for both students and educators.
4. Responsible use of AI. Founders have the exciting task of exploring AI opportunities for educators. As they engage with customers, they should be diligent in their implementations by proactively identifying and addressing biases in data utilization or interpretation to ensure the outcomes are fair and equitable for all learners.

The future of education is full of opportunities for edtech founders to transform raw data into actionable insights for educators. Combined with the undeniable potential of AI, edtech founders have an incredible opportunity to partner with educators and help solve some of the most pressing challenges in education.

Apply today for the AWS Education Accelerator

To help accelerate innovation in education for edtech companies, AWS has launched the new AWS Education Accelerator. The first cohort is focused on startups that can demonstrate early-stage traction with solutions aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning experience and improving educational outcomes.

The AWS Education Accelerator is a 10-week immersive program open to edtech startups globally. Applications are being actively accepted through November 17, 2023. This hybrid program will kick off with an in-person event at an Amazon office.

Recommended Links:

• AWS Education Accelerator Homepage
• AWS Education Accelerator Virtual Information Session
• AWS Startups Homepage
• AWS EdTech Product Page
  
• AWS Cloud Computing for Education