Privacy and Educational Technology: Risks and Benefits
Tori (Victoria) Klassen
What are the privacy implications to post-secondary institutions of using
services like Youtube, WordPress.com and Google apps in a learning
environment? BCcampus has collected examples to form a background paper on
this issue; some of the findings will be presented in this talk.
In order to match the expectations of students and instructors, as well as to
take advantage of the real cost savings, B.C. institutions are looking for
ways to bring these services into their teaching and learning processes.
Advantages: many of these services are free to use and offer powerful
web-based tools that can enhance education, partly because they are
familiar to students and will remain part of their working lives after
they leave the institution.
Disadvantages: there is increasing concern that U.S.-based “cloud” services
may not comply with of B.C.’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (FIPPA) if used in the context of formal academic work.
Are instructors refraining from using them no matter how much they enhance the
teaching and learning process?
About Tori (Victoria) Klassen:
Tori (Victoria) Klassen is Manager, Communications and Stakeholder
Relations for BCcampus.
Her role is to weave together BCcampus’ innovative, leading edge projects into
a compelling story for stakeholders and clients in a participatory way, using
tools like blogging, wikis and other interactive media. She is responsible for
ensuring BCcampus’ communications activities align with the corporate goals to
connect, collaborate and innovate in BC’s post-secondary sector.
Tori is an Accredited Business Communicator with over 15 years’ writing and
strategic development in corporate communications, with a B.A. and an M.A.
majoring in the social sciences. She came to BCcampus after several years with
the government of British Columbia.
A former broadcast and print journalist, she has provided her expertise to
public and private organizations including government, cable and telephony
companies, a temporary employment agency, a charitable organization and an
economic development agency. Tori is originally from Saskatchewan, and in her
spare time volunteers as a fitness instructor with the YM/YWCA, runs marathons
and climbs and hikes in B.C.’s mountains.
