How can student data collected by MOOCs help educators identify learning difficulties?

In the context of distance learning, the data collected by MOOCs allows educators to track student progress and engagement throughout a course. By monitoring the digital footprints and performance metrics generated by students, instructors can identify specific areas or concepts where learners encounter difficulties.1

However, this reliance on data collection also presents significant ethical concerns. While tracking student data can be a tool for pedagogical improvement, it risks reducing students to abstract statistics and data sets rather than viewing them as individuals. Furthermore, this process creates a vast store of information about participants, raising serious risks regarding the surveillance of students in an environment where educators often never see their students in person.1