Information and Technology Services (ITS) maintains a number of IT systems and services that support the University of Michigan’s teaching, learning, and research missions. These include Canvas, MiVideo, Qualtrics, and more. All of these systems collect and generate data related to students’ academic activities. (Many schools, colleges, departments, and individual faculty also use IT systems and services that ITS does not maintain.)
What Academic Data We Collect
- Student Profile Information
such as name, email address, profile picture, preferred name, and pronouns - Course Information
such as course roster, course name, meeting times, course calendar - Student Submissions and Class Activities
such as discussion posts, assignment submissions, chat messages, conversations with classmates and instructors, quiz responses, grades - Interaction with Teaching Tools (reading materials, videos, etc.)
such as date and time of access, length of interaction - Logging Information
such as browser and operating system used, date and time of login, length of session, time of submissions
How We Use Academic Data
The University of Michigan uses academic data to:
- Teaching and Learning Process
Facilitate effective and engaging learning experiences by providing useful information to instructors and students on participation and performance. - Reporting and Tools
Support institutional reporting, curricular design, learning sciences research, and learning tool development by analyzing aggregated data sets, such as U-M Data Warehouse. - Learning Analytics
Analyze data about learners in data sets, such as Learning Analytics Data Architecture (LARC) and Unified Data Platform (UDP), in order to:- Support growth student development
- Create personalized learning opportunities and pathways
- Engage in earlier and more effective interventions
- Provide for more tailored mentoring and advising
- Improve student outcomes
- Enable learning sciences research
- Service Support
Ensure system stability and positive user experience by monitoring service performance and providing end-user support.
The use of academic data for the purposes outlined above is safeguarded through several mechanisms, including Information Assurance, the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the U-M Standard Practice Guide, and the U-M Data Governance framework. Furthermore, the university has developed a set of learning analytics guiding principles that emphasize respect, transparency, accountability, and empowerment in regards to the use of learning data.
How We Collect Academic Data
- Directly
When you provide it to us, such as when you complete surveys and quizzes. - Automatically
When academic web-based applications generate and store data based on visits and interactions.
How We Share Academic Data
The University of Michigan does not sell or rent your academic information. We may share your information with service providers that support or provide teaching and learning services. We strive to require our service providers to keep your personal information secure and use it only for providing services on the university’s behalf.
Personal information may also be shared when required by law, or to protect the safety, property, or rights of the university, its community members and guests.