This eSchool News piece (Student data mining is a problem) got me thinking about the issues of ads and data collection as they relate to our use of online tools and information resources. Parents and educators have been primed to be concerned with the ill effects of ads and data collection from these services. This is not a new issue – remember the controversy over ads in Channel One.
This is an important issue, but one I think needs to be considered on a deeper level. There seems great pressure from the education community for “free”. What bothers me about this position is the lack of appreciation for the provider. The cost of generating and providing the resource is not recognized or appreciated. The eSchool article focuses on the concern and not why the provider feels the need to collect data or offer ads.
Making money from the education of children is demonized, but why not categorize the value of content and service generation in the same we categorize the payment of educators. Quality deserves compensation.