Online Student Collaboration and FERPA Considerations

From the classroom to clinical: A Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act primer for the nurse educator

Despite its prominence, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is often misinterpreted and misapplied. This chapter clarifies historical developments, common misconceptions, and modern applications of the law.

A public cloud platform offers economy of scale, ease of management, and elasticity to solutions. In addition, regulatory compliance and security must be assured for solutions handling sensitive data, such as student and healthcare data. With the steep rise in data breaches at large enterprises, it is a requirement to emphasize the security, privacy, and compliance of cloud-delivered solutions that hold personally identifiable information (PII). An example of a solution in need of such assurances is an education and learning-related analytics service that handles confidential student data on a public cloud platform. In this paper, we propose an approach for managing the security and privacy of an education and learning-analytics solution on a public cloud platform while assuring compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We also propose a new agile deployment approach that is both rapid and automatic. A prototype of a learning-analytics solution was implemented on a SoftLayer public cloud, and the new deployment method was evaluated in comparison with existing methods.

Coaching Via Telepractice

BackgroundOnline collaboration tools have been identified as potentially effective means for enhancing student learning, motivation, and engagement in science education. However, their effectiveness in improving science education outcomes among middle school students remains uncertain.ObjectivesThe study aimed to investigate the impact of online collaboration tools on science education outcomes among middle school students, focusing on learning achievement, engagement, and motivation.MethodsA quasi‐experimental design with a pretest‐posttest control group was used in this study. A total of 60 eighth‐grade middle school students were involved in the study, with both the experimental and control groups comprising 30 students each. The experimental group incorporated the use of digital collaboration platforms, including Asana, Slack, and Team Viewer, as instrumental components of group project execution and discussion in their science lessons. Conversely, the control group adhered to the current educational approach in Turkey, characterized by the employment of an inquiry‐based learning strategy in their science instruction. Data was collected over eight weeks using a science achievement test, engagement scale, and science motivation scale.ResultsThe experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post‐test scores compared to the control group, suggesting that online collaboration tools positively impacted science education outcomes. Additionally, survey data indicated high levels of engagement and motivation among the experimental group students when using the online collaboration tools.ConclusionsThe findings support the notion that online collaboration tools can effectively enhance learning, motivation, and engagement in science education among middle school students. These results have significant implications for educators, educational institutions, policymakers, and curriculum developers. Further research is needed to examine the potential of these tools in various educational contexts and with different student populations. This will help broaden the understanding of how online collaboration tools can be integrated into diverse learning environments, potentially benefiting a larger number of students and further improving science education outcomes.

In the last decades, the fast growth of Information and Communication Technologies changed our way to communicate and share information. Traditional groups or teams frequently give way to virtual teams, working with tools for online collaboration. Interaction between persons geographically dispersed has become easier. However, the use of new collaboration tools can also bring many challenges. Some technologies, like e-mail, can create delays on reply or even misunderstandings, case the message is not well understood by the recipient. Can these new technologies improve the productivity and enhance the creativity between group members, improving also their confidence and motivation? Although virtual teams have a high capacity to adapt to constant market changes, personal interactions are still important, mainly to clarify tasks and goals. The main purpose of this study is to understand how tools for online collaboration may improve the productivity (and enhance creativity) in teamwork. This study was conducted through an internet platform and the survey was hosted online by SurveyMonkey.com. We intended to verify, among other questions, what users think about different collaboration tools, how often they use these tools, and how they perceive these technologies as adequate ways to communicate, to work with, and to improve productivity. Findings show that e-mail is the most used tool, and personal contact is still more important for teamwork than any tools for online collaboration. Our results contribute to perceive in what extent collaboration tools are indeed an asset or a barrier in teamwork. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s4p511

In a situation of an unexpected catastrophe, uncertainty and demand for information are constant. In such a disaster scenario, the CRISIS system arises as a tool to contribute to previous coordination, procedure validation, exercise execution, a good and frequent communication among organizations, and weakness and threat assessment for an appropriate risk management. It offers a wide variety of tools for online communication, consultation and collaboration that, up to this day, includes cartography, tasks, resources, news, forums, instant messaging and chat. As a complement, mathematical models for training and emergency management are being researched and developed. For Argentinean society, it is a necessity to switch from the current handcrafted, bureaucratic emergency management method to a decision-making management model. Previous coordination, exercise execution, a fluid communication among institutions, and threats and weaknesses assessment are required for a proper risk management. With that goal in mind, it is important to reduce confusion, avoid the duplication of efforts to fulfill the same tasks, and have access to a complete vision of the situation, generated from the data of all the organizations taking part. The CRISIS system is a secure web application, accessible to every node in a network formed by the organizations which have complementary responsibilities during prevention and response. It offers a wide variety of tools for online communication, consultation and collaboration that, up to this day, includes cartography, tasks, media (organization and resources), news, forums, instant messaging and chat. As a complement, mathematical models for training and emergency management are being researched and developed. Currently, there are toxicological and epidemiological emergency models available. The present paper analyses, from the perspectives related to risk management for emergencies and disasters, the strengths and weaknesses of the CRISIS system to be used for prevention, response and recoveries in the case of a catastrophe.

This thesis deals with the broad question of how Australian universities and their teachers are meeting the changing market conditions of the 21st century. This examination occurs in the context of changing legislative and regulatory circumstances and strategic efforts to meet the broader goals of 'graduate attributes' and increased accessibility of tertiary learning. The underlying query of this thesis is how technology can assist in transcending traditional models of higher education teaching delivery. Related to this is a focus on collaborative learning, with the question of its desirability and what it might offer in terms of improved outcomes relevant to teaching and learning in higher education. These questions are primarily discussed in the context of how online environments can aid collaboration and result in both discipline specific and generic outcomes. Through a case study of Australian International Relations (IR) and Politics teachers at the undergraduate level, this thesis finds that there has been limited innovation in the online delivery of these subjects and that there is little consistency in any e-learning approaches that have been adopted. In particular, collaborative online learning is infrequently pursued. This is surprising because in a climate of increasingly market-driven higher education, collaborative online tools may offer a solution to many of the pressures teaching academics face. These findings point to a significant gap between the strategic goals expressed by universities and what is actually being delivered to undergraduates. This includes meeting ambitions in 'graduate attributes', satisfying regulatory oversight, contending with financial pressures and the societal drive to make learning more accessible to a wider audience. The thesis also examines some of the barriers teaching staff feel prevent them from utilising online collaborative methods, including perceptions of time poverty, support, skills, institutional factors and peer experience. The findings indicate that teachers of IR/Politics feel little incentive to implement online collaborations, chiefly because of time constraints,but also a prevailing sense that such innovations are not worth their investment in terms of career advancement and institutional support. Unfamiliarity with the technology involved serves to exacerbate these perceptions to the point where investing any effort in the pursuit of online approaches is seen as wasteful. A theoretical Technology-Assisted Teaching Adoption Model is proposed as a means of demonstrating the barriers to innovation uncovered by this research. Finally, this thesis explores online role play as a possible solution to some of these barriers perceived by IR and Politics teachers, as well as how such an approach could address the market factors currently shaping Australian higher education. There is strong and consistent support within the literature for role play as a collaborative learning strategy with identified pedagogical benefits. In the disciplines of IR and Politics, where much of the subject matter being studied concerns the concept of people and entities communicating and co-operating, role plays can help generate deeper and broader understanding. The thesis concludes by making recommendations as to how Australian universities can move towards fostering online innovation amongst teaching staff, both to better meet institutional goals, as well as serve their students better by producing qualities conducive to their future careers.

Juvenile JusticeVolume 26, Issue 3 p. 15-19 The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 vs Child Abuse Reporting Laws: The Teacher's Dilemma David L. Herbert, Corresponding Author David L. HerbertAssistant Stark County Prosecuting Attorney 1124 Apple, N.E. North Canton, Ohio 44720Search for more papers by this author David L. Herbert, Corresponding Author David L. HerbertAssistant Stark County Prosecuting Attorney 1124 Apple, N.E. North Canton, Ohio 44720Search for more papers by this author First published: August 1975 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6988.1975.tb01093.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume26, Issue3August 1975Pages 15-19 RelatedInformation

The paper presents an overview of a pilot study aiming at developing university students’ writing competence with the use of a selected Web 2.0 collaboration tool as authoring environment for Task-Based Language Teaching. Online word processors were used to design a pre-task, task and post-task sequence which was implemented in varied modes of work when teaching English to students at the Department of German Studies, Maria CurieSkłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The specific aim of the study was to investigate the applicability of one particular online collaborative environment, namely an online word processor such as Google Docs (http://docs.google.com), to implement form-focused language teaching at a tertiary level. The study was conducted in an action research fashion, with two parallel groups of students using two different collaborative environments (wikis and online word processors). As it was found out, the idea of learning writing in collaboration mediated by online resources was new to students and the awareness of how to make the best use of peer editing and peer feedback had to be established among students first. Once it was done, however, collaborative learning online proved to be a powerful vehicle for language instruction. The emergence of new Web 2.0 tools facilitating collaboration and publishing such as online word processors has helped to redefine the process of teaching language skills, and specifically writing, in the TBLT framework.

As businesses increasingly use collaboration tools with audio capabilities to support online meetings, it is important for universities to examine the potential value that similar tools can add to distance learning courses. This study reveals findings from MBA students regarding the perceived benefits of online meetings supported by Wimba Classroom, an online collaboration tool with audio capabilities. The results are benchmarked against the perceived benefits of students who participated in online meetings using Blackboard Virtual Classroom, an online collaboration tool that lacks audio capabilities. The central findings of the study provide evidence to suggest that collaboration tools with audio may be an important component in distance learning courses with synchronous online meetings.

In this paper I propose that applied ethnographers should think critically and innovatively about the practice of producing fieldnotes in ethnographic research. Critical thought on ethnographic fieldnotes has been relatively underdeveloped, both in applied and academic anthropology. Moreover, as applied ethnographers our projects have particular opportunities and constraints that are unique from academic anthropology. I make a case for elevating fieldnotes as a topic of more critical discussion in applied ethnography, and for moving fieldnotes from a private practice to a social practice. I use a collaborative online tool as a case example for possible innovation. Collaborative practices present certain vulnerabilities and challenges to creating fieldnotes, but I argue that the benefits of innovating fieldnotes help to build bridges both between researchers, and between researchers and stakeholders in a project. Innovative fieldnote practices can: deepen the thinking in our research; increase our impact; help ensure that our practices are credible as applied ethnography; and make contributions to the practice of ethnography more broadly.

The OER is a comparatively innovative phenomenon which perhaps seen as a part of a bigger movement towards openness in advanced education including more familiar and recognized trends, for example Open Access (OA) and Open Source Software (OSS). This study introduces a web based service for collaborative authoring learning to create, share and explore dynamic contents since many problems occurred while using the current e-learning software such as Moodle and LAMS. This paper proposed the alternative e-learning software technology based on grid portal, grid computing platform and it was implemented in two courses. The conventional web based education may not suitable for collaborative tools and online collaborative authoring environment because of slow operation in searching, uploading, visualizing output, and file sharing. The new web based service offers an efficient authoring infrastructure dealing with online collaborative tools and collaborative authoring environment based on grid portal technology to solve the unequal distribution of task and compensation problem as well as investigates how to improve access and usefulness for the users of such OER. UCLA Grid Portal open source software with parallel computing system has been implemented in order to design the efficient authoring infrastructure and to implement an online graphics, animation, audio and video technology courses. The idea is to show how the environment can offer web assisted education that goes beyond providing digital learning materials. The OER, especially in the collaborative authoring activity environment in parallel computing are designed to provide students with new environment where they can share skills, knowledge, and understanding within the group members as well as to enhance students’ teamwork skills in parallel and distributed processing for high performance computing. Based on the strong foundations, hopefully the users are ready to apply their knowledge, creativity and leadership to fulfill the need of their future career development. As a conclusion, the collaborative authoring learning becomes more effective in terms of performance evaluations analysis.

The study focused on the assessment of the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) of graduate students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Science Education (MASE) program and tested the effectiveness of a blended learning approach using online collaborative tools, a learning management system, and interactive resources in Biology. The specific objectives of the study included describing the profile of MASE students in terms of computer and internet resources and skills, measuring their confidence levels in the four TPACK constructs, finding significant differences in pretest and posttest scores, and obtaining student feedback on the use of Edmodo as a Learning Management System. The study employed a one-shot pretest-posttest experimental design using a combination of online resources and face-to-face interactions. Based on the results, there was an increase in the median values before and after the intervention, as shown by the difference between the pre-median and post-median. Pre-implementation, the TPACK confidence level of the students was rated fairly confident (FC), but it increased after to completely confident (CC). This suggests that the students' TPACK confidence level improved positively using the BL approach. Likewise, the t-stat value of 10.68 indicates a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores after implementing the blended learning approach. This suggests that the blended learning approach had a positive and noteworthy impact on the student's performance, as seen in the improved test scores. The study's results highlighted the benefits of Edmodo as well as the use of interactive online activities in their performance and TPACK as reported by the students.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly called the Buckley amendment, provides for parental and pupil access to pupil records kept by educational institutions, and requires consent of the parent or pupil for release of such records to other agencies. The authors discuss the provisions of the law and the implications for mental health professionals who work with schools. They present guidelines covering the kinds of information that can appropriately be included in reports sent to schools.