Ethical Issues & Challenges in Learning Analytics

Invited presentationKatina Michael, M.G. Michael

University of Wollongongwww.Uberveillance.com

katina@uow.edu.au

NSW Learning Analytics Working Group Wollongong28 August 2013

Defining Uberveillance• uberveillance (say

'oohbuhvayluhns) noun. an omnipresent electronic surveillance facilitated by technology that makes it possible to embed surveillance devices in the human body. Also, überveillance

• Uberveillance in ed. S. Butler, Fifth Edition of the Macquarie Dictionary (Australia's National Dictionary, Sydney University), p. 1094

Term conceived by Dr. MG Michael

Mass Surveillance vs Uberveillance

• Who? Where? When? What?

• If I know:– who you are– where you are– what condition you are in

then I can denote what you are doing• “Human activity monitoring” of all people has

consequences for human rights

ConditionLocationIdentity

McNamee, Michael & Michael, 2005Human Activity Monitoring/ Ethics

Abbas, Michael & Michael, 2009SuperTrackstick, TrackStickPro, iPhone

Unique in the Crowd: The privacy bounds of human mobility

http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130325/srep01376/full/srep01376.html

Over a 15 month period and 1.5 million records.

Proactive Criminalisation

• The underlying premise:– If I can use “big data” to – (a) bring islands of information together– (b) analyse both structured and unstructured data

in real-time or near-real time– then there is a good chance that certain patterns

and trends will be revealed that may help me to foil a plot to commit a crime, or even prevent a crime.

“At risk”

• “An at-risk student is a student who, by virtue of their circumstances, is statistically more likely than others to fail academically.

• Those determining the criteria of at-risk status often focus on:– ethnic minorities– those who are academically disadvantaged– those who are disabled– those who are characterized by low socioeconomic status– students on a probationary status over past behavioral

issues.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-risk_students

Risks abound everywhere around us…

• Are we circumventing the transmission of an important life quality when we attempt to intervene in the context of an adult student?

• Sometimes it will work when we intervene… but sometimes it will make matters worse.

• Risks related to “at risk” intervention:– Trial and error– Learning from mistakes– Spontaneity– Potentiality– Improvisation

• Do we lose “control”?• Is our “free will”

obstructed?

Pre-emption vs Prediction

• Are we circumventing nature taking its course?

• Zero tolerance on errors• What to say a student

failing every assessment can’t kick back on their own accord in the final exam?

Interventionism

• Gives impression of infallibility– “All seeing eye” is right– Can see all things, hear all things, is omniscient

• “Ex-cathedra” [from the throne/chair]• It’s a paradox– Modern day attempt to remove God from view– 4Who … exalteth himself above all that is called

God … so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (2 Thess 2:4)

Feeding the Machine

• What you put into the machine you will get out of it– GIGO (garbage in/ garbage out)

• In the end it is still all subjective– Does not replace the act of getting to know

students or in place of manual ‘monitoring’• The machine is prone to:– Stereotyping– Stigmatising

"I feel technology has changed so much where people are emailing and don't talk face-to-face anymore,

people are losing social skills...and their compassion.”

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gopro-project-claims-technology-making-people-lose-empathy-homeless-1445134

The FitBit Fallacy

• Benchmarking?• What is the optimal?• What is that magic number?• How does one interpret results?• Fundamental flaw– Technological device measurements might show

usage but won’t show intelligence/knowledge• Are we trying to enter a private space in the

mind?

“…NOTHING WAS YOUR OWN EXCEPT FOR THE FEW CUBIC CENTIMETERS INSIDE YOUR SKULL.”

1984, George Orwell, (1949)

Google wants to be the third half of your brain…

Uberveillance“Big Brother on the inside looking out”

“[Ariel Garten’s] company InteraXon… has produced Muse, a lightweight headband that uses electroencephalography (EEG)

sensors to monitor your brain activity, transmitting that information to a smartphone, laptop or tablet. The high-tech

headband has been used to pour beer, levitate chairs, or control the lights -- all without the wearer lifting a finger.“

Unintended Consequences

• Might learning analytics have the opposite effect?– Instead of helping might it marginalise?

• Is it an elitist mentality• Person of interest – analytics alerts• Are we really “interpreting” the student?• False sense of security about who will perform

and who will not- we relax as educators or overstress with too many red flags

“The In Your Shoes Test”

• What if the tables were turned?• How might we respond to such monitoring as

faculty staff and administration?• What if we became the analysed?• And then students judged us and

performance?• I’ve personally witnessed educators leave the

profession due to poor online results

“My Uni told me I’m at risk- I feel so depressed I should just give up!”

• ?• ?• ?• ?• ?• ?• ?

www.uberveillance.com