
Purdue creates 'opt out' system tracking student movement on campus - avs733
https://www.academicforecast.org/about
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nxrabl
I was all ready to come in and blast this for breaches of privacy etc etc, but
then I read this:

>Forecast will show you your data and how your data compares with a
University-wide picture of past and present Purdue students. Forecast also
will point you to concrete steps, based on the data, which may help you
improve your academic performance.

Oh man, could I have used this in college. All the other students talked so
much about how their last essay sucked, or how they hardly studied at all for
this upcoming exam. Bull. Shit. They've been spending 8+ hours a day in the
library for the last two weeks preparing for that exam, and that all-nighter
they moaned about so loudly was just icing on the cake. I want so much to go
back and slap some sense into my younger self for believing all that 'modest'
crap. (Or, I guess, for letting myself believe it. Look at all these people,
how successful they are without even working! Guess I don't have to work
either! Idiot.)

A system like this has the potential to be huge in terms of helping students
wrap their heads around what's actually expected of them in a college
environment. I'm thinking in particular here of "Big-Fish-Small-Pond" students
such as those from lower income or small town backgrounds, who are used to
programs pitched at a lower common denominator. As long as Purdue keeps their
databases locked down, I'm totally on board with this.

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avs733
Data collected:

Some data incorporated in Forecast are probably no surprise. For instance,
student academic records are used, including grades, progress toward a degree,
and use of the Blackboard course management system. But the system also
incorporates some less obvious data, such as your use of Purdue’s wireless
network and swipes of your Purdue ID card at the gym, residence halls and
dining facilities.

Privacy policy:

Whether you use Forecast or not is entirely up to you. Students can formally
opt out at any time by emailing tlt@purdue.edu. If you opt out, your data,
while still collected, will not be individually displayed. You will still be
able to see the University-wide analysis of behaviors that contribute to
academic success at Purdue, which can offer some useful pointers, but you
won’t be able to see your behaviors compared to everyone else’s.

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coreyp_1
Indeed, there is no "opt out" as traditionally defined. There is only a "hide
my personal results results from me, but keep collecting everything".

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rahelzer
Back in the 90's, I was the "minister of truth" for the student group "Purdue
Libertarians". Since then, I've evolved into a socialist. Both my former and
current selves are appalled at this. Never in my wildest nightmares would I
think that Purdue, of all places, would implement student tracking.

This isn't _like_ the techniques described in the novel 1984. This _IS_ a
technique described in the novel 1984.

Tracking of law-abiding citizens has no place in any free society.

