critical perspectives on data, surveillance, and the privatization of higher ed

35th chat, June 16 2015: critical perspectives on data, surveillance, and the privatization of higher ed

Relevant readings:

Neoliberalism, Corporate Culture, and the Promise of Higher Education: The University as a Democratic Public Sphere, Giroux (section entitled “Incorporating Higher Education” is the most useful for this discussion)
Thinking Out Loud About Patron Privacy and Libraries #nisoprivacy, Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/2015/06/08/thinking-out-loud-about-patron-privacy-and-libraries-nisoprivacy/
Educational Technology readings:
- Grooming Students for a Lifetime of Surveillance, Irwin https://modelviewculture.com/pieces/grooming-students-for-a-lifetime-of-surveillance
- Maggie’s Digital Content Farm, Watters http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/maggies-digital-content-farm/
Research examples pertaining to open data, surveillance, and inequality:
- “Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks”http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full (An academic article published with Facebook data- read the comments for more information about IRB issues, how depending on corporate entities creates a black box for data, and how no real form of consent was used)
- Apple ResearchKit https://www.apple.com/researchkit/ & “Apple’s new ResearchKit: ‘Ethics quagmire’ or medical research aid” http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/10/8177683/apple-research-kit-app-ethics-medical-research

Discussion questions:

Q1. What kinds of data collection fit into the larger movement of neoliberalism in/ privatization of the academy? #critlib
Q2. What are some critical practices we can employ to learn about our community’s needs without invading their privacy? #critlib
Q3. What role do librarians play as #infolit educators? How can we teach students to be skeptical of unethical data practices? #critlib
Q4. How might librarians push back on exploitative practices like surveillance and the selling of data to corp, esp in ed tech? #critlib
Q5. As libr do outreach for DMPs, how can we help faculty use transparent data practices while remaining aware of privacy & equity? #critlib