Big Opportunities and Big Concerns of Big Data in Education

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the ever-increasing influx of big data, this article examines the opportunities and concerns over big data in education. Specifically, this article first introduces big data, followed by delineating the potential opportunities of using big data in education in two areas: learning analytics and educational policy. Then, the concerns over data security, privacy protection, and ethical boundaries of accessing personal digital data are discussed. The article concludes with an invitation to education practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to advance our understanding of big data and better serve students in the digital era.