Potential Issues with Education Software
Privacy — One of the largest issues facing the education software industry is privacy. The increased use of software throughout the education sector means more information is gathered and housed by educational institutions. Particularly in K–12 institutions, there are privacy concerns raised by parents and communities who don’t want every little piece of information about their students collected, combed through, and analyzed. As artificial intelligence makes its way into the classroom and the internet of things (IoT) collects and transmits information about every single thing that happens within the classroom, the question becomes how much data does a school have the right to gather. Just because something is possible, does that mean it should be done? When it comes to minors, do they have any privacy rights, or do those belong to the parents? Should students have to opt in to data sharing or opt out? These are all questions that will be answered in the coming years as education software and technology continues to grow and affect the industry.
Security — The more data and information an organization has on file, the more attractive the prospect of stealing that information becomes for bad actors. While schools may not hold the most valuable information in the world, payment details and identity-related information, as well as sensitive personal student information, may be on file. For this reason, security is paramount in education software. Education software tends not to tout security as one of its hallmarks, but that may change as more sensitive information is held in educational institutions’ applications.
Distraction – As technology in the classroom becomes ubiquitous, one of the major issues becomes the potential for distraction. Students armed with tablets and other internet-connected devices are easily distracted from focusing on subject material during class. The solution to this problem? Implementing classroom management software allows teachers to monitor and block students from using certain websites. Classroom management has become an integral tool, allowing teachers to ensure that their students are on task.
Improper Implementation – While this is an issue in every sector, one of the most glaring potential issues for education software is improper software selection and implementation. Included in implementation is proper training for employees who will use the software, which is often overlooked by educational institutions that do not have enough dedicated IT staff. If the wrong software is selected or it is implemented incorrectly, and the institution and its employees have no idea how to take proper advantage of the features the application provides, then there will likely be issues down the road. The way to avoid these issues is by ensuring a rigorous vetting and selection process, proper implementation, and high-quality training available for employees who will be using the software.