Tensions between privacy versus fundamental needs of OER

Privacy has always been a value for the open access community and for adjacent communities such as libraries. Privacy is recognized as a human right by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In recent years, the importance of privacy as a value has grown with the growth of surveillance capitalism and ubiquitous browser tracking.

OER presents two unique traits that are in tension with privacy. First, any open publishing initiative has a need to show the value in order to secure sustained funding and support. Usage statistics is a strong way to show value of any open access resources. However, collecting usage statistics is often in direct opposition to privacy. We demand vendors give us statistical tools, and in order to do so, their software platforms must look back out at the person using the OER and collect data on that person then compile statistical reports. It's necessary in order to get statistics that show the value of OER. Second, there is a great demand for OER that are interactive and especially that integrate with course management systems or learning management systems. Teachers and professors do not just want a text file or PDF. Often, they want a module that collects information on learning outcomes and then shares that information out to a grading system. Once again, the software must look back out at the user, collect information, and report that information out.

This presentation will explore nuances of OER that put privacy and OER in tension with one another. Understanding the issues can help to better navigate this developing area of the need for privacy for users of open educational resources, and to better advocate for user privacy while championing OER.