I can be reached at
gpieters@oise.utoronto.caThere was a group leadership project in graduate course, CTL1605F00: Internet Resources in Education, at OISE/UT, which required graduate students (comprised mainly of educators) in the course to explore an issue/strategy, conduct research, facilitate a discussion and present a final report on the findings.
Leadership group six conducted an online knowledge building exploration which pursed the issue/strategy on Cookies and Their Use in Education.
During a two-week period from November 30 to December 14, 2000, educators in CTL1605 logged on to WebKf (Web Knowledge Forum) available at http://online.oise.utoronto.ca/webkf/ctl1605.html, and pursued the issues around Cookies and Their Use in Education. Leadership group six facilitated discussion, issue exploration and investigation of the impact of Cookies in educational settings. The online discussion, which was supported and led by the author of this report, produced a wide and varied dialogue with general consensus on the benefits and pitfalls of Cookies and Their Use in Education. The issue/strategy was presented through four discussion threads, of which, three threads asked educators to address open-ended questions and review online links to resources that support the discussion on Cookies and Their Use in Education.
The leadership group six topic on Cookies and Their Use in Education enabled knowledge building discussions around the following questions:
An important and widely recognized fact concerning the use of the Internet in educational settings is the implicit and explicit knowledge that most websites collect data on their users through the use of cookies. However, there has been sparse discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of Cookies and their use in educational settings. The group leadership discussion explored this issue starting with the question of what are Cookies, followed by a discussion of its advantages and disadvantages.
In the educational setting, educators are concerned about the impact of Cookies. There are two types of Cookies, namely, persistent and session Cookies. http://privacy.net and other resources explain that persistent Cookies are text files with data that are sent to computers by the websites browsed by users. These Cookies contain expiration dates and may stay in computers for extended periods of time, unless deleted by the computer user. Cookies are not executable files and as such are not able to alter the hard drive of a computer, cannot transmit viruses and cannot gain private information unless voluntarily submitted by ways of online forms etc. Session Cookies are temporary and expire immediately after the web surfing is completed. Session Cookies are mostly used during online shopping or even in the use of WebKf.
Most of the educators in the knowledge building dialogue on this topic support the position that Cookies are harmless and manageable when using the Internet in the classroom, school or educational setting. This view which achieved general consensus amongst educators in the knowledge building discussion, is further supported by a broad body of evidence presented through online resources including the CIAC bulletin on Internet Cookies which states that no files are destroyed or compromised by Cookies. Therefore educators and students do not need to worry about inadvertently opening a Cookie that will wreck havoc to their school or district server.
During the building of knowledge around the advantages and disadvantages of Cookies in using the Internet in educational settings, many of the educators took the position that Cookies enables students, educators and users in the educational setting with quick access to relevant high frequency sites appropriate to the subject area and curriculum unit being explored. This factor may perpetuate the notion of the 'smart Cookie'. Perhaps, the smart Cookie facilitates efficient, effective and excellent use of the Internet to enhance student learning and achievement in schools, as well as better serve educators who rely on the Internet as a resource of value to curriculum, instruction and classroom learning.
It was clear that the educators in the knowledge building discussion believed that Cookies can improve the quality of educational searches and information retrieval from the Internet. An example of this benefit is the increasing access to publication including educational magazines, journals, research reports, course websites, and newspapers on the Internet. These Internet resources are utilized and relied upon by educators and students at all levels of education, curriculum areas and subject disciplines. Without the use of Cookies, it may be difficult to navigate these sites. Cookies on the whole are aimed at fostering a smarter web surfing experience and are more beneficial than they are given actual credit.
However, during the building of knowledge around the issue of blocked access to Cookies at the server level in school boards/districts, educators take the position that over generalization of negative stereotypes about Cookies have resulted in school boards/districts blocking access to sites which require accepting Cookies. Educators in the knowledge building discussion believed that it is a negative educational practice for some school districts to block access to educational websites that require accepting Cookies. These educators believed that the negative impact of blocking websites that require accepting Cookies placed students and educators at a teaching and learning disadvantage because they lose access to viewing and receiving information, research and reports from websites that improve learning in the curriculum areas that are being pursued. Some educators cited lack of technical expertise, lack of knowledge about Cookies, and employer buy-in of the fear of Cookies including myths that Cookies are a threat to Internet security as a barrier to the full use of the Internet in educational settings.
In knowledge building discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of Cookies and Their Use in Education, some of the myths were raised and deconstructed.
An interesting and proven position put forth during the knowledge building discourse if the fact that accepting or blocking Cookies at the server level of educational institutions do not necessarily serve as a deterrent to members of educational communities who habitually access inappropriate sites for obsessive/compulsive purposes. Educators cited that some members of school communities ability to by-pass existing barriers in their quest to access websites that school boards felt would be inaccessible with a block placed on websites which requires accepting Cookies. However, it was also noted that such actions are risky and results in disproportionate professional and personal reputational damage to violators in addition to the possibility of prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
During the knowledge building discussion, educators mentioned that there is the possibility that insufficient awareness about Cookies and their positive benefits in using the Internet in the classroom is a contributing factor to the climate of fear of using the Internet in some classroom and the blocking of access to websites requiring acceptance of cookies by some school boards/districts.
The perception of being watched along with the possibility of blackmail was also mentioned as fostering a culture of fear about lack of privacy and security in using the Internet in educational settings. The most frequently mentioned barrier to access and use of the Internet in educational settings is privacy and safety concerns. Unfortunately, within the education community, there is a body of evidence, which suggest that some educators believe that Cookies exacerbate this concern. However, with more education on the positive benefits of Cookies, the concerns of educators can be eased.
There was some consensus on the fact that Cookies can and do act as a deterrent in tracking and stopping misuse of the Internet in educational settings. Examples abound of instances where browsing habits were tracked and action was taken to remedy any misuse of the Internet that occured in classrooms, schools and educational settings. While this concern is not as widespread and a cause for extreme concern, it is a necessary deterrent to protect the Integrity of using he Internet in schools and protecting the public interst in ensuring that schools are safe places for learning and discovery by students who are there to get a good education.
The school boards/districts can or have responded to this issue in a variety of ways.
The debate on whether the Cookie is a 'demon like' script or a useful tool is important to this debate on privacy and security. Some school districts have blocked access to websites that require accepting Cookies, while others allow unrestricted access to websites containing Cookies. Since Cookies are relatively harmless, it can be argued that there are merits to school districts providing access to Internet resources that do require accepting Cookies. It has been pointed out that since most boards and some schools also have their own website, perhaps, they should also place Cookies on their sites as a way to better serve their audiences as well as know who their audience really are. It has been suggested that it is necessary to educate students and educators about Cookies and their use in education.
Exploration of software and websites that allow for anonymous web surfing recieved some examination as well. However, among the participants, there seemed to be limited interest and enthusiasm for use of these Cookie blocking software and web applications. Most of the web blocking software and applications are of value and become significant for people who have real concerns of web tracking and cyber stalking.
In conclusion, the topic on Cookies and Their Use in education is a salient issue that deserve indepth exploration and analysis of the scope that goes beyond what the two week issue/strategy knowledge building which this final report is based upon was able to accomplish. The knowledge building on this issue/strategy was able to confirm existing evidence that Cookies are for the most part harmless and do not constitute a significant threat to the privacy and security of students and educators using the Internet in the classroom.
gpieters@oise.utoronto.caCopyright 2000-2001 Gary Pieters, All Rights Reserved. Created on December 23, 2000. Recently Updated on December 29, 2000. Academic Content on this Web Page May Not Be Used or Reproduced In Any Form Without the Written Consent of the Author of this Homepage.
