Student and staff data: use of data analytics and machine learning

The request was partially successful.

Dear University of Derby,

I am making a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Please can you provide information pertaining to any data analytics software used by the university using personal data about your students and staff, since 2012.

1a). Whether you are using any data analytics software at all:
1b) if so, which ones?
1c) what date this data analytics processing began?
1d) indicate whether in the past and ended, or still in current use

2a). Any predictive analytics software such as used in but not only, Blackboard, Xray and JISC supported Civitas.
2b) if so, which ones?
2c) what date this analytics processing began for predictive purposes?

3. If the answer to Q1a or Q2a is yes, please provide a copy of any contract terms on using the data by the provider company including
a) the data items feedling analytics, any profiling, and/or used in prediction
b) what the prediction purposes / aims are
c) training the software (such as AI and machine learning) by the provider using the data provided via your organisation.

4. Whether the University is using its own student or staff population data for machine learning for purposes not included in 1-3 above? (ie but not only, within the university computing department for any project or with another third-party)

5. From which time periods were the student or staff data collected which are processed in any of the above (ie not only, retrospective student data from the last ten years / only current intake which began in autumn term 2018)?

6. How many people/user accounts have access to the whole population student data in any of the above in this calendar year?

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Jen Persson

UOD - FOI, University of Derby

4 Attachments

Dear Jen,

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 request FOI/1692

 

I acknowledge your request for information received on 28/11/2018.   
                         

 

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by
the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being
exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

 

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me or
alternatively email the Freedom of Information Team at [1][University of Derby request email].

 

Kind Regards

 

 

+---------------------------------+
|Keira Shetliffe | |
|Information | |
|Governance Assistant | |
|Corporate Information| |
|Governance and | |
|Assurance | |
|  | |
|T: 01332 59 2151 | |
|E: [2][University of Derby request email]| |
|  | |
|University of Derby, | |
|Kedleston Road, | |
|Derby |  |
|DE22 1GB |[4]Tef Gold|
|[3]University of |[5]Gradiuan|
|Derby |top 30 |
+---------------------------------+

 

We are all responsible for protecting personal data held by this
University and who we share that data with. Stop and think before you send
your email. For further guidance visit -
[6]https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

 

 

 

Sensitivity: Internal

The University of Derby has a published policy regarding email and
reserves the right to monitor email traffic.
If you believe this was sent to you in error, please reply to the sender
and let them know.

Key University contacts: http://www.derby.ac.uk/its/contacts/

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[University of Derby request email] blocked::mailto:[University of Derby request email]
mailto:[University of Derby request email]
2. mailto:[University of Derby request email]
3. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
4. https://www.derby.ac.uk/about/tef/
5. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
6. https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

UOD - FOI, University of Derby

4 Attachments

Dear Jen,
  
Freedom of Information Act 2000 request FOI/1692

Thank you for your recent request for information.

 

Your request and our responses:

 

Please can you provide information pertaining to any data analytics
software used by the university using personal data about your students
and staff, since 2012.

 

1a). Whether you are using any data analytics software at all:

1b) if so, which ones? IBM and Pyramid

1c) what date this data analytics processing began? Pyramid: since 2014 ,
IBM: since 2000

1d) indicate whether in the past and ended, or still in current use still
in current use

 

2a). Any predictive analytics software such as used in but not only,
Blackboard, Xray and JISC supported Civitas. N/A

2b) if so, which ones?

2c) what date this analytics processing began for predictive purposes?

 

3. If the answer to Q1a or Q2a is yes, please provide a copy of any
contract terms on using the data by the provider company including data
not shared with third party

a) the data items feedling analytics, any profiling, and/or used in
prediction data not shared with third party

b) what the prediction purposes / aims are improving pedagogic practice –
not targeted at an individual learner level but cohort groups

c) training the software (such as AI and machine learning) by the provider
using the data provided via your organisation. data not shared with third
party

 

4. Whether the University is using its own student or staff population
data for machine learning for purposes not included in 1-3 above? (ie but
not only, within the university computing department for any project or
with another third-party) the university is using student data to
investigate if machine learning can assist in learning analytics -
individual student data is anonymised

 

5. From which time periods were the student or staff data collected which
are processed in any of the above (ie not only, retrospective student data
from the last ten years / only current intake which began in autumn term
2018)? data from the last 3 years

 

6. How many people/user accounts have access to the whole population
student data in any of the above in this calendar year? 5

 

 

The information that we provide in response to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests are subject to copyright protection. The
copyright is owned by either the University or a third party. Simply
because the information is available under the legislation does not mean
the University or the third party has waived its copyright.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request you should
write to:

Mr J Eaglesfield
IT Services
University of Derby
Kedleston Road
Derby
DE22 1GB

 

Please quote your FOI reference no. and ask that your request be
reviewed under the University’s internal appeals procedure.

 

If after the appeal process you are still dissatisfied, you can complain
to the Information Commissioner at: Information Commissioner's
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Telephone: 01625 545700 [1]www.informationcommissioner.org.uk

 

Kind Regards

 

 

 

+---------------------------------+
|Keira Shetliffe | |
|Information | |
|Governance Assistant | |
|Corporate Information| |
|Governance and | |
|Assurance | |
|  | |
|T: 01332 59 2151 | |
|E: [2][University of Derby request email]| |
|  | |
|University of Derby, | |
|Kedleston Road, | |
|Derby |  |
|DE22 1GB |[4]Tef Gold|
|[3]University of |[5]Gradiuan|
|Derby |top 30 |
+---------------------------------+

 

We are all responsible for protecting personal data held by this
University and who we share that data with. Stop and think before you send
your email. For further guidance visit -
[6]https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

 

 

Sensitivity: Internal

The University of Derby has a published policy regarding email and
reserves the right to monitor email traffic.
If you believe this was sent to you in error, please reply to the sender
and let them know.

Key University contacts: http://www.derby.ac.uk/its/contacts/

References

Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.org.uk/
2. mailto:[University of Derby request email]
3. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
4. https://www.derby.ac.uk/about/tef/
5. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
6. https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

Dear UOD - FOI,
Please provide this information under the FOI Act 2000.

With regards to the response form the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request FOI/1692, the response was:
"the university is using student data to investigate if machine learning can assist in learning analytics - individual student data is anonymised."

Please provide
a) a copy of the privacy notice and /or data protection policy provided to students for the new intake in autumn 2018
b) the written agreement in place for the use of data 'in-house' for such project.
c) the written data protection impact assessment (DPIA) / risk assessment in place for the use of data for such project.
d) the terms of agreement in place in autumn 2018 with IBM and Pyramid. (I understand that some parts of this may be redacted, for any commercially sensitive grounds that may appear in the contract, however this should not prevent the provision of such document on a whole.)
e) how many students' data are at the time of receipt, used in the project "to investigate if machine learning can assist in learning analytics."

Thank you.
Sincerely,

Jen Persson

UOD - FOI, University of Derby

4 Attachments

Dear Jen,

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 request FOI/1728 

 

I acknowledge your request for information received on 23/01/2019.   
                         

 

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by
the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being
exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

 

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me or
alternatively email the Freedom of Information Team at [1][University of Derby request email].

 

Kind Regards

 

 

+---------------------------------+
|Keira Shetliffe | |
|Information | |
|Governance Assistant | |
|Corporate Information| |
|Governance and | |
|Assurance | |
|  | |
|T: 01332 59 2151 | |
|E: [2][University of Derby request email]| |
|  | |
|University of Derby, | |
|Kedleston Road, | |
|Derby |  |
|DE22 1GB |[4]Tef Gold|
|[3]University of |[5]Gradiuan|
|Derby |top 30 |
+---------------------------------+

 

We are all responsible for protecting personal data held by this
University and who we share that data with. Stop and think before you send
your email. For further guidance visit -
[6]https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

 

 

 

Sensitivity: Internal

The University of Derby has a published policy regarding email and
reserves the right to monitor email traffic.
If you believe this was sent to you in error, please reply to the sender
and let them know.

Key University contacts: http://www.derby.ac.uk/its/contacts/

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[University of Derby request email] blocked::mailto:[University of Derby request email]
mailto:[University of Derby request email]
2. mailto:[University of Derby request email]
3. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
4. https://www.derby.ac.uk/about/tef/
5. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
6. https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

UOD - FOI, University of Derby

5 Attachments

Dear Jen,
  
Freedom of Information Act 2000 request FOI/1728

Thank you for your recent request for information.

 

Your request and our responses:

 

With regards to the response form the Freedom of Information Act 2000
request FOI/1692, the response was:

"the university is using student data to investigate if machine learning
can assist in learning analytics - individual student data is anonymised."

 

Please provide

a) a copy of the privacy notice and /or data protection policy provided to
students for the new intake in autumn 2018

Please see attached PDF

b) the written agreement in place for the use of data 'in-house' for such
project.

There is no agreement in place as this project is processing anonymised
data. Please refer to the [1]ICO’s guidance on anonymised data under
recital 26 of the GDPR.

c) the written data protection impact assessment (DPIA) / risk assessment
in place for the use of data for such project.

As the data has been anonymised a DPIA is not necessary.

d) the terms of agreement in place in autumn 2018 with IBM and Pyramid. (I
understand that some parts of this may be redacted, for any commercially
sensitive grounds that may appear in the contract, however this should not
prevent the provision of such document on a whole.)
We do not have an agreement with IBM and Pyramid.

e) how many students' data are at the time of receipt, used in the project
"to investigate if machine learning can assist in learning analytics."

30 – 40k however this is not at an individual level.

 

 

The information that we provide in response to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests are subject to copyright protection. The
copyright is owned by either the University or a third party. Simply
because the information is available under the legislation does not mean
the University or the third party has waived its copyright.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request you should
write to:

Mr J Eaglesfield
IT Services
University of Derby
Kedleston Road
Derby
DE22 1GB

 

Please quote your FOI reference no. and ask that your request be
reviewed under the University’s internal appeals procedure.

 

If after the appeal process you are still dissatisfied, you can complain
to the Information Commissioner at: Information Commissioner's
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Telephone: 01625 545700 [2]www.informationcommissioner.org.uk

 

Kind Regards

 

 

 

+---------------------------------+
|Keira Shetliffe | |
|Information | |
|Governance Assistant | |
|Corporate Information| |
|Governance and | |
|Assurance | |
|  | |
|T: 01332 59 2151 | |
|E: [3][University of Derby request email]| |
|  | |
|University of Derby, | |
|Kedleston Road, | |
|Derby |  |
|DE22 1GB |[5]Tef Gold|
|[4]University of |[6]Gradiuan|
|Derby |top 30 |
+---------------------------------+

 

We are all responsible for protecting personal data held by this
University and who we share that data with. Stop and think before you send
your email. For further guidance visit -
[7]https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/

 

 

Sensitivity: Internal

The University of Derby has a published policy regarding email and
reserves the right to monitor email traffic.
If you believe this was sent to you in error, please reply to the sender
and let them know.

Key University contacts: http://www.derby.ac.uk/its/contacts/

References

Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/gui...
2. http://www.informationcommissioner.org.uk/
3. mailto:[University of Derby request email]
4. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
5. https://www.derby.ac.uk/about/tef/
6. https://www.derby.ac.uk/
7. https://www.derby.ac.uk/its/datagov/