Data collection and the ethical issues around recording teaching sessions

As part of the course, you will explore teaching approaches and planning lessons. One of the course requirements is that you video yourself teaching children in order for your teaching to be assessed using the Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) teaching criteria. Filming your teaching sessions also provides you with the opportunity to reflect upon your own teaching practice and critically appraise your strengths and areas for development. In order to follow an ethical approach to recording lessons, you must adhere to the Data Protection Act 2018 and understand how to keep any personal information you have collected as part of your teaching sessions safe and secure. For this reason, it is essential that you adhere to your educational setting’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy as well as the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) Code of Ethics (BDA, 2022).

Data Collection and GDPR

The Data Protection Act 2018 refers to GDPR and presents strict rules to follow with regards to handling personal data. Some of the principles behind these rules include lawfulness, fairness, transparency, accuracy and accountability in relation to how data is collected, held, used and stored. Part of your role as a specialist teacher will involve the collection of children’s personal data, which is why you must ensure you adhere to GDPR requirements.

Watch the video below on GDPR guidance, to develop your understanding of how GDPR guidelines affect educational settings:

GDPR task 1: to assess your understanding of GDPR compliance, make a list of the types of personal data you will be handling. For example, on this course, you will be creating lesson plans, resources and videoing learners. What types of personal data might you collect? Reflect on how GDPR principles will have an impact on these activities and the personal data you will handle.

GDPR task 2: since all educational settings have policies on handling data, it is important to ensure that you are familiar with these in order to adhere to them throughout the course and during your professional practice. Find your school’s policy on data protection and explore the setting’s regulations around collecting, using and storing personal data. Make notes on these regulations to further enhance your GDPR understanding.

BDA Code of Ethics

As well as following all data protection policies, it is particularly important that you adhere to the BDA Code of Ethics (BDA, 2022). The BDA Code of Ethics (BDA, 2022) states you must maintain professional and ethical integrity whilst working with learners with literacy difficulties such as dyslexia.

According to the British Dyslexia Association (2022, para. 1), the purpose of the Code of Ethics is to set out:

The principles, values and behaviours required to ensure professionalism, respect of others, integrity, competence and responsibility for own behaviour. It recognises that ethics relates to the control of power which can be misused and that this is critical as much of the BDA's work involves influencing, advice and support with others who may not hold as much authority or power. It is essential that trust is gained, the more vulnerable are protected and no abuse of power is permitted. Dyslexia is also an area within which there continues to be many deeply held opinions and convictions. The Code aims to ensure that the professional activities and statements of those recognised as competent by the BDA have due regard to, and are open about, such differences when dealing with clients.

BDA Code of Ethics task: read the BDA Code of Ethics to enhance your understanding of ethical integrity. Click the link below to access the document and reflect on how ethical integrity will impact your role as a specialist teacher:

BDA Code of Ethics and Conduct for Accreditation - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)

BDA Code of Ethics and one-to-one work task: when selecting a learner to work with you for individual teaching sessions, it is important that (a) you consider ethical principles when deciding on the learners you will be working with; (b) you are sensitive to the needs of the learner. Specialist teachers need to be mindful that they only teach or assess children where there is an identified need related to literacy difficulties. Look at the following Dyslexia Checklists by clicking on the two links below:

Primary: Primary-School-Dyslexia-Checklist.docx (live.com)

Secondary: Secondary-School-Dyslexia-Checklist.docx (live.com)

Please sort the following statements into Yes or No with regard to identifying markers for dyslexia to help identify suitable learners for one-to-one work. Click on each statement to check your answers.

Recording your teaching – video guidance

As established, part of the course requirements include video recording yourself teaching children. When recording lessons, it is important to think about the position of the camera, the sound quality, the reflection of sunlight in the window etc. to ensure the recording is of good quality and suitable for assessment purposes.

Recording your teaching task 1: to prepare yourself for this activity, it would be useful to create a five top tips for video guidance to address possible issues you might encounter. You can use the table below to brainstorm ideas:

Recording your teaching task 2: as you will have to record lessons as part of the submission of evidence for the course, preparing this equipment in advance can be extremely helpful. It would be beneficial, prior to starting the course, to explore how you can source the equipment you will need and to test it out using your top five tips for video guidance from task 1. You may also find the following suggestions helpful:

• Ensure the recording can be played on standard desktop computers if you are using an iPad/tablet.
• The teacher should be at a right-angle to the student and the camera placed directly opposite.  
• Lower the quality of the video recording so the files are a smaller size and can be uploaded and saved more easily.
• The camera position should not be looking into direct light from a window.
• Save and view all recordings before submitting to ensure they are of good enough quality.

References

BDA (2022) BDA code of ethics and conduct for accreditation. Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/terms/bda-code-of-ethics-v2-april-2019#:~:text=BDA%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20and%20Conduct%20for%20Accreditation,professional%20accreditation%20and%2For%20professional%20membership%20of%20the%20BDA. (Accessed: 24 May 2023).