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# In the era of remote and hybrid education, digital learning platforms like MasteryConnect have become essential tools for tracking student performance.
Among the myriad of data points collected, one file has sparked debates about privacy, algorithmic bias, and the ethical implications of educational surveillance.
This investigative piece delves into the complexities surrounding this file, scrutinizing its purpose, the data it encapsulates, and the broader consequences for students and educators.
While ostensibly serves as a benign assessment tool, its underlying mechanisms raise critical concerns about student privacy, data security, and the potential for systemic bias in automated grading issues that demand urgent scrutiny from policymakers, educators, and technologists.
MasteryConnect, a subsidiary of Instructure (the company behind Canvas LMS), specializes in competency-based learning analytics.
The file likely represents a student’s assessment data possibly a scanned answer sheet, a digital response, or an AI-generated performance metric.
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- A 2021 report by the revealed that some digital testing platforms use facial recognition to verify student identity, raising concerns about biometric surveillance ().
- If contains facial data, it could violate (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act).
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- Research by in demonstrated that facial analysis algorithms exhibit racial and gender bias.
If MasteryConnect employs similar AI, students of color may face unfair grading discrepancies.
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- A 2022 investigation by found that many ed-tech platforms share student data with advertisers and analytics firms ().
If is part of a larger dataset, its misuse could lead to predatory profiling.
Proponents argue that tools like MasteryConnect enhance efficiency: -: Reduces teacher workload, allowing quicker interventions ().
-: Ensures uniform grading, minimizing human bias.
Privacy advocates and scholars counter that: -: Conditions students to accept constant monitoring ().
-: In 2023, a ransomware attack on Illuminate Education exposed 820,000 student records ().
The case of underscores systemic flaws in ed-tech governance: -: Companies rarely disclose how student images are processed.
-: Current laws (FERPA, COPPA) are outdated, failing to address AI-driven analytics.
The debate over is not just about one file it’s about the future of equitable education.
While digital tools offer pedagogical benefits, unchecked data harvesting and algorithmic bias threaten student rights.
Policymakers must enact stricter data protections, educators should demand transparency, and parents must remain vigilant.
The question remains: Will we prioritize convenience over consent, or will we reclaim control of our children’s digital footprints? - Buolamwini, J., & Gebru, T.
(2018).
- Darling-Hammond, L.
(2020).
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- Electronic Frontier Foundation.
(2021).
- The Markup.
(2022).
- Zuboff, S.
(2019)