Compare and Contrast Acceptable Use and Responsible Use

Video Transcription

Hello and welcome, everyone. The topic we'll be covering today is looking at two use policies that you'll find in schools. They're called acceptable use policy and responsibly use policy. Let's get started.

I was recently teaching in a school that houses a pre-K classroom. As part of my role as the enrichment specialist, I had the opportunity to visit every classroom and introduce the iPad minis we had just received as a result of a grant. Now mind you, I have never taught children this age. So I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I'm fortunate to work in a community where most of the children have used tablets before at home. So I needed to be clear about the expectations for the school use. I kept it clear and simple for them. Hold the device on your lap with two hands. Only use the app that is assigned to you, and share with your partner. And there you have it. A four year old's introduction to technology use policies.

The purpose of this lesson is to define both acceptable and responsible use policies. Comparing and contrasting the two may help you determine which policy best meets the needs of your learning environment.

We will begin by looking at some of the characteristics of an acceptable use policy, or an AUP. In schools, a main focus of digital rights and responsibilities is the acceptable use policy, which include a set of rules that are applied by networks and website owners that may limit the way in which they are used. This is an attempt to keep students safe. For instance, some districts will put restrictions on sites like Twitter and YouTube.

AUPs at schools describe what students are allowed to do while working on digital devices provided by the school. For example, in most schools, students are not able to install or remove any programs. Also, a AUPs place restrictions on downloading movies, music, or other media without consent from the owners. They even have guidelines when it comes to the use of photos, videos, and documents.

In schools, there is an emerging focus on digital rights and responsibilities. A set of rules applied by networks and website owners that outline the ways in which the network our website can be used is called a responsible use policy, or an RUP. For example, many districts have disclaimers at the bottom of their emails notifying users that their district assigned email account should be used for school reasons only.

Responsible use policies at school describe what students are allowed to do while working on the digital devices that the school provides, or on their own devices if they're on school property. The difference is that the onus is placed on the student rather than the schools for blocking sites like Facebook and other social media. Although harmful content is filtered, students still have access to the majority of functions on these sites.

Like AUPs, responsible use policies also place an emphasis on digital rights, security, and safety. Students adhering to a responsible use policy learn that access to technology is a privilege, not a right, and are given wider access unless and until they demonstrate that they are not following the rules. This is extremely important, because in one to one schools, it is not possible to block students personal access. So it's important to teach them to be responsible whenever and wherever.

Whichever use policy your district subscribes to, an emphasis is placed on cyber bullying. Internet users have the right to report cyber bullies to the proper facilitators including the website host or network administrator.

This diagram represents the major differences between the two policies. An acceptable use policy has greater limits as compared to responsible use policy. This poses a challenge for BYOD, bring your own device, schools or one to one schools. Whereas a responsible use policy is needed in schools that encourage students to bring in their own devices. An AUP blocks out objectionable content, but it also inadvertently blocks necessary content as well. A responsible use policy gives students access to the majority of content and functions.

In either case, schools are obligated to follow the regulations set forth by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and the Children's Internet Protection Act.

It's time to summarize what we covered in this video. We began by introducing the two use policies, acceptable and responsible use. We talked about cyberbullying. Then we looked at the major differences between the two policies. And finally, we reminded ourselves how important those regulations are to follow.

And now a little food for thought. What does the use policy of your school look like? How does it compare to the use policy of neighboring districts? To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the Additional Resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted toward helping you discover more ways to apply this course material. Thanks so much for watching. We'll see you next time.