Week 3 Reflection: Privacy, Agency, and Finding My Inquiry Focus
What Happened: Understanding Digital Privacy and Defining My Inquiry
This week brought two key moments in my EDCI 339 journey. First, I explored the FIPPA content, which helped me understand important privacy considerations for educators using digital tools. Second, I finalized my Free Inquiry topic:
How can open and distributed learning make financial literacy accessible to everyone?
The FIPPA discussion really highlighted the tricky legal and ethical issues educators face when using social media and online platforms. My inquiry topic, on the other hand, grew out of my co-op experience in fintech and my work on a personal finance app. Those experiences showed me just how big the gaps in financial literacy education are and sparked my curiosity about how open and distributed learning could help bridge them.
Privacy as an Educational Responsibility
FIPPA sets the rules for how public institutions like schools and universities handle personal information. The example comparing vacation photos to classroom photos really helped me understand when content counts as being under institutional control. For instance, if a teacher posts classroom photos on social media, those images are considered part of the school’s records and are subject to FIPPA rules, even if they were shared from a personal account.
This has big implications for how educators use technology. Every digital tool we bring into the classroom, from WordPress to collaborative platforms, needs careful thought about how data is collected, stored, and used. Learning about FIPPA made me see why EDCI 339 uses the OpenETC platform. Unlike commercial blogging services that might store data outside Canada or use it for profit, OpenETC is hosted on BC Educloud, keeping student information within provincial control. It is a good example of privacy by design, where protecting data is built into the system from the start instead of being an afterthought.
FIPPA recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The video below highlights its impact and significance over the years.
Financial Literacy Through Distributed Learning
My Free Inquiry topic grew out of my experience in fintech and app development. During my co-op, I saw firsthand how financial systems work and, more importantly, how many people struggle to understand them. While developing a personal finance app, I had to research the barriers that prevent people from building financial literacy.
I really appreciate the flexibility this course offers in letting me explore a topic that matters personally. Coming from a Computer Science background, I could have picked something more technical, but being able to dive into the intersection of education, finance, and technology feels much more rewarding. This kind of freedom shows the type of learner agency that distributed learning should encourage, letting students take charge of their own learning and focus on areas that truly interest them.