Safe and ethical online teaching

Advice on using learning technology and delivering online instruction responsibly to keep students and faculty secure

Spotlight collection offering advice on ensuring online teaching is safe and ethical

Online learning and education technology make it possible to collect, store and analyse student data in much greater detail than ever before. Used effectively these records can inform improvements to teaching and university services. But the internet and information it harvests also exposes users to risk of data misuse, breaches of privacy, cyberattacks and more. This collection of resources looks at how universities should approach online learning to ensure it is safe for students and faculty.

Secure and transparent use of student data

Bronwen Swinnerton and James Pickering outline the steps all universities should take to ensure ethical and transparent collection and use of student data via ed-tech platforms

Bronwen Swinnerton, James Pickering

University of Leeds

Staying safe online

Advice on the guidance available to frame responsible use of learner analytics to improve students' university experience

Responsible use of learning analytics to improve the university experience

Rebecca Ferguson presents useful guidelines and frameworks for using learner analytics safely and effectively to inform improvements to teaching and student services

Rebecca Ferguson

The Open University

Guidance on ensuring the cybersecurity of your online teaching and ed-tech

Cybersecurity in online learning

Mohammed Rehman explains what steps universities should take to educate staff and students about cybersecurity and how to protect themselves when teaching and learning online

Mohammed Rehman

Arden University

Online video meeting

Running safe and secure online meetings and calls

New digital teaching methods risk exposing personal and sensitive information among students and staff. Here are best practice tips from Matthew Davis on running safe and secure online meetings and calls

Matthew Davis

Leeds University Business School

Upholding good conduct online

Netiquette: encouraging good behaviour in online classes

Online teaching can blur boundaries between home and university, so lecturers must take steps to ensure a safe and respectful online learning environment through good ‘netiquette’. Sam Smidt and Joanna Stroud explain how

Sam Smidt, Joanna Stroud

University College London

It’s been emotional: how to manage difficult student interactions

Student advisers often bear a heavy emotional burden when trying to assist students. Meg Cohen offers advice on how to manage such emotionally challenging situations

Meg Cohen

Georgetown University

Helping students from a distance

What to consider when personal tutoring remotely

Points to consider when personal tutoring remotely

With many remote students feeling anxious, personal tutors are often the first port of call. Michael Draper talks through things to consider in order to maintain a supportive and helpful relationship with tutees from a distance

Michael Draper

Swansea University

Using learning analytics to enhance digital teaching delivery

DIY learning analytics: using data to improve online teaching

Jennifer Lawrence explains how to use small-scale data analytics to monitor student progress and improve digital teaching delivery

Jennifer Lawrence

University of New England

Tips on using technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind in online courses

Use technology to catch students before they fall

Working remotely with no face-to-face contact is a challenge for many students. May Lim and Li Siong Lim explain how educators can use technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind

May Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

Creating supportive learning communities

Three tips for building community in the classroom

Building community in the classroom whatever your teaching modality

Nancy Gleason offers three tips for building community among students whatever your teaching modality

Nancy Gleason

New York University Abu Dhabi

Create a welcoming online learning community

Creating a welcoming and inclusive online learning community

Creating a sense of community among students is vital for effective online teaching. Here, Miral Gibson explains how fostering this welcoming online learning environment should be pedagogy-led

Miral Gibson

University of Roehampton

Practical advice on building equitable communities when teaching online

Do unto students as they would have done to them

Maha Bali offers practical advice on building equitable learning communities online no matter what students’ bandwidth or synchronicity of the class

Maha Bali

American University in Cairo

Advice on safely teaching international student groups online

Safely teaching foreign students facing censorship

Foreign students studying online in their home countries may be subject to strict press controls, so educators must carefully consider their course content and discussion points, Pavin Chachavalpongpun explains

Pavin Chachavalpongpun

Kyoto University

Negotiating the minefield of global online teaching: dealing with difference  

Farish A. Noor offers advice on managing the conflicting viewpoints of students living and studying in different countries and cultural contexts when teaching international groups online

Farish A. Noor  

Nanyang Technological University