With the move to remote teaching and learning, there is greater potential to record class sessions and make content available. However, this must be done within FERPA guidelines and should be done transparently and with student agency. This guide will provide some effective practices to aid your work.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA does not prohibit lecture recording of classes, but does require certain protections be in place.
As we infuse more courses with technology, there are many tools available to facilitate teaching and learning. Many of these offer recording options. Even if you plan to use Canvas to store the recordings, students should be made aware that recording is taking place.
The use of public sites like YouTube for student-created videos as a required part of coursework is strongly discouraged. These videos persist long after the class is over and may persist in other venues even if the file is deleted from the platform.
Additional resources on student privacy during COVID-19: https://ferpasherpa.org/
Data breaches, privacy violations, and hacks are a part of our reality. As our lives are increasingly lived more fully online, and as technology advances at a dizzying pace, it is imperative that we understand how to protect ourselves, our data, and our reputations online.
Here are some concrete steps you can take to protect and control your online identity. These links will take you to the Online Privacy and Security guide.
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