Privacy and Security in E-Learning

For a variety of advantages, universities and other organizations are resorting to e-learning to provide instruction on-line. While many advances have been made in the mechanics of providing online instruction, the needs for privacy and security have to-date been largely ignored. At best they have been accommodated in an ad-hoc, patchwork fashion. Privacy can be described as a learner's ability to maintain a "personal space" within which the learner can control the conditions under which personal information is shared with others. Security examines ways and means for implementing data integrity and protection policies for organizations involved with e-learning. This paper examines privacy and security issues associated with e-learning. It presents the basic principles behind privacy practices and legislation. It investigates the more popular e-learning standards to determine their provisions and limitations for privacy and security. Privacy requirements for e-learning systems are explored with respect to the "Privacy Principles". The capabilities of a number of existing privacy enhancing technologies, including methods for network privacy, policy-based privacy/security management, and trust systems, are reviewed and assessed.