Understanding Teaching and Learning data 

Teaching and learning data encompasses a broad spectrum of information generated from student activities such as assignment completion, quiz and exam participation, course material access, textbook reading, class attendance, and discussion forum participation. These activities occur while students interact with digital tools and materials (e.g., ICON, Panopto, Zoom, textbook publisher platforms) in their enrolled courses. These activities are not directly evaluated for the student's academic progress. Instead, the analysis and interpretation of these datasets aid faculty members and the institution in comprehending student learning progress, enabling the customization of learning opportunities to meet individual student needs.

Data Collection by Information Technology Services (ITS) 

ITS collects a diverse range of data from educational services. The categories of data we collect, along with examples within these categories (not exhaustive), include: 

• Student record information: name, email address, photo, pronouns, hawk ID, and university ID. 
• Course information: student’s course schedule, course names, course meeting times, grade structure, and sections. 
• Homework and course activities: discussion posts, assignment submissions, resource interactions, chat messages, conversations and interactions with instructors and classmates, quiz and test answers, and grades received. 
• User activity within teaching tools: time and date of access, duration and frequency of interaction, browser version and operating system, I.P. address, and other activity information. 

This information is automatically collected from web analytics services and online educational web-based services. Please note that individual colleges, departments, and faculty may use other tools and services that operate differently from those described here.

Data Usage and Sharing 

Teaching and learning data is used to bolster student success and teaching excellence by: 

• Using data to support student achievement and progress. 
• Promoting data-informed decision-making for educational enhancements. 
• Enhancing student engagement and academic progress through tools like Elements of Success. 
• Providing actionable insights to instructors and advisors for proactive assistance. 
• Leveraging data insights to understand student learning patterns and behaviors. 
• Reporting on digital tool usage to measure adoption, effectiveness, and engagement. 
• Enabling evidence-based research on teaching and learning practices. 
• Supporting system function and improving system operation. 

Data may be utilized and stored in UI systems or with approved vendor partners that are part of our educational ecosystem. The University of Iowa does not sell your data.

Data Protection 

We employ policies, processes, and technology to safeguard the data we collect from you. FERPA training is mandatory for all personnel with access to systems with FERPA-protected data as well as certain job codes that may intersect with student educational records.  Role-based training is provided for IT staff who support these systems. Research access to teaching and learning data is subject to the requirements of the Institutional Review Board. The university employs several technologies to protect sensitive data, such as multifactor authentication, encryption in transit and at rest, as well as auditing, monitoring, and alerting technology.