An information policy perspective on learning analytics

Policy for learning analytics joins a stream of initiatives aimed at understanding the expanding world of information collection, storage, processing and dissemination that is being driven by computing technologies. This paper offers a information policy perspective on learning analytics, joining work by others on ethics and privacy in the management of learning analytics data [8], but extending to consider how issues play out across the information lifecycle and in the formation of policy. Drawing on principles from information policy both informs learning analytics and brings learning analytics into the information policy domain. The resulting combination can help inform policy development for educational institutions as they implement and manage learning analytics policy and practices. The paper begins with a brief summary of the information policy perspective, then addresses learning analytics with attention to various categories of consideration for policy development.