Beyond identifying privacy issues in e-learning settings – Implications for instructional designers

Abstract

Players in the digital economy increasingly rely on the large-scale collection or exchange of personal data. Because online data can be persistent and immense, e-learning researchers and educators should advise people to make constructive use of online data and to disclose the data with caution. However, few studies have indicated that data protection issues are particular concerns in e-learning practices. Drawing on a systematic literature review, this paper examines personal data protection issues related to instructional design and e-learning. We aim to understand the online data protection-related issues that instructors or instructional designers encounter rather than reiterating that users must be aware of the informative and persistent characteristics of online data. The themes that emerged from the literature review can be classified into two typologies. One typology refers to the identification of privacy issues as a particular concern in the instructional design of e-learning, and the second typology is the implementation of data protection as a subject matter in the pedagogical design for e-learning. The results of the review and their implications for further research are then discussed.