Privacy Policy for BOKU's e-learning systems (software: Moodle)

General

The protection of your personal data is very important to us. The University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) places great emphasis on protecting the privacy of users of its website. For that reason BOKU processes data exclusively in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Austrian Data Protection Act [Datenschutzgesetz/DSG]. This privacy policy will inform you about which personal data is collected when you visit or use BOKU's e-learning systems or retrieve content made available there, for what purposes BOKU processes such data and how BOKU handles that data. It currently applies to the following Moodle instances including the corresponding domains: BOKUlearn (learn.boku.ac.at), EBUlearn (ebu-learn.ac.at) and EPICURlearn (epicurlearn.boku.ac.at).

Purpose of data processing

BOKU's e-learning systems are based on the open source software Moodle. The platforms allow BOKU's teaching staff, staff members, students as well as guests and partners to collaboratively create and edit online courses. They complement the BOKUonline campus management system with features for handling electronically supported lecture courses. Teaching staff and students at BOKU can supplement their courses with online resources and e-learning modules, such as tools for communication, scheduling and performance assessment. In order to verify the authorisation to view, use and edit content on the platform, users must log in to the relevant platform using their personal login details. The user's master data must be stored so that elements created by them can be assigned to that user for ongoing processing..

Legal basis for data processing

Processing of data for use of BOKU's e-learning systems is based on Article 6(1)(e) GDPR and Section 3 of the Austrian Universities Act [Universitätsgesetz/UG] 2002.

Collection and use of personal data

Data/log files collected when visiting the website:

When accessing BOKU's e-learning systems those types of data are collected which are automatically transmitted during the use of the website. This data is logged in server log files and systems for the purposes of error analysis. This data includes:

  • data and time of access
  • the user's full name
  • name of the user concerned, where applicable (e.g. a member of teaching staff accesses a student's assessment)
  • event context (e.g. course or core system)
  • component (e.g. activity, course material, etc.)
  • technical event name
  • description of the technical event
  • origin (web or CLI)
  • IP address of the retrieving computer

The log files are stored for a period of 365 days. They contain the above data to enable users to be assigned to a learning context. BOKU processes this information for the purpose of creating anonymised user statistics.

The legal basis for storage of data and log files is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Data is stored in log files to ensure the proper functioning of the learning platforms and to monitor the performance of the websites. The data is also used to track learning progress in online courses.

Categories of personal data processed in connection with BOKU's e-learning systems

Each time a user logs in, BOKU's e-learning systems retrieve or synchronise the following personal data from the BOKUonline campus management system for all users (with the exception of manually created user accounts, which may be set up by the e-learning team following a request from a BOKU organisational unit):

  • identification number
  • first name
  • surname
  • email address
  • student registration number (in the case of students)
  • assigned lecture courses and course roles (teaching staff, students, tutors, administrative staff)

For individuals who are no students or staff members of BOKU, manual accounts for the e-learning systems can be created for specific purposes (e.g. project collaboration). For that purpose, at least the user's first name, surname and email address must be collected. A request that an account be created will be submitted by a BOKU staff member by sending an email to e-learning(at)boku.ac.at. In addition, teaching staff may activate so-called "guest access" for their respective course in any of BOKU's e-learning systems (including a password, where applicable) in order to grant guests (i.e. individuals without an account for that e-learning system) limited read-only access to the course.

Other personal data stored in BOKU's e-learning systems

  • date and time of last access to the course
  • date and time of access to activities and course materials as well as the type
  • course enrolment (date, course role, enrolment type, assignment to a department/institute)
  • grades received and/or awarded in enrolled courses
  • data relating to the use of learning activities and course materials (e.g. files submitted, quiz attempts, grades, dates, feedback, access records, attendance, assignments to groups, calendar events, wiki entries, completion data)
  • communication data (e.g. forum posts created and read, messages, contact list, chat messages, polls, comments)
  • personal profile fields, where voluntarily provided by users: city, country, time zone, description, profile picture, additional names, personal interests, institution, department, phone number, mobile phone number, address. Those voluntary details may be changed or deleted by users at any time.

Cookies

The websites of BOKU's e-learning systems use so-called "cookies". These are small data units which are stored on the end user's terminal device when they visit the websites. This allows the websites to remember certain entries and settings (e.g. login) for a certain period of time for as long as the cookie is saved.

The websites of BOKU's e-learning systems use cookies, in particular for login purposes, to adjust the presentation of the website for authenticated users and, in doing so, make use of the website as pleasant as possible. Cookies may be deleted at any time via the relevant settings in the web browser. Moreover, cookies may also be generally deactivated via the relevant browser settings, which may, however, lead to restrictions in the usability of BOKU's e-learning systems.
 

The cookie named MoodleSession must be enabled in order to remain logged in whilst navigating between pages in BOKU's e-learning systems.

Upload of course materials

Files (e.g. course materials) may be uploaded to BOKU's e-learning systems for learning purposes.

Data security

BOKU takes suitable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the users' data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss and against access by unauthorised persons.

The users' personal data is stored and processed almost exclusively within the learning platform. Data relating to specific selected online courses will be shared with third parties for teaching and learning purposes. Where applicable, this will be carried out by the relevant members of teaching staff by integrating external tools. The relevant data protection agreements must be provided by the members of teaching staff in courses where these tools are used.

The data stated above may, where applicable, be forwarded to:

  • BOKU's e-learning systems may offer an interface with Zoom/Zoom Video Communications. The "Email address" field in the user profile is used as an identifier to connect to the Zoom API. This requires an existing or activated account at bokuvienna.zoom.us; see in this respect https://short.boku.ac.at/it-zoom.
  • BOKU's e-learning systems may also include an interface with the external tools
    • Matlab Grader and JupyterHub.
      Purpose: provision of an interactive teaching and learning environment (carrying out complex programming tasks and assessing the same).
    • Pearson MyLab Chemie.
      Purpose: provision of digital teaching materials (a collection of knowledge on the subject of chemistry, presented in a multimedia and pedagogically structured format).

To check accessibility, teaching staff may use the "Brickfield Accessibility Starter Toolkit", which is integrated into Moodle. No personal data is shared in the process.

Categories of recipients of the personal data

BOKU's e-learning systems are used for teaching in line with BOKU's objectives. It is therefore necessary and in accordance with the purpose of the platforms for users to be able to recognise one another on a case-by-case basis within online courses in order to facilitate interaction during the learning process (e.g. with regard to communication in "forums" or forming of groups via the "Group management" feature). BOKU's e-learning systems also feature a list of participants for each course as well as integrated role management, which uses various roles that are defined across the system (Teacher, Hidden Teacher, Tutor, Course Creator, Student, etc.) to control participants' access to course materials and information.

Right to information, rectification, erasure or restriction; Right to object; Possibilities to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority

Pursuant to the statutory data protection provisions, in particular Articles 15 to 21 GDPR, users may at any time request information regarding personal data concerning them, may have incorrect data rectified or erased or demand restriction of processing and/or object to the use of their data.

The relevant requests may be addressed to the offices listed in the "Contact details" section.

In addition, pursuant to Section 24 DSG users have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority if they are of the opinion that the processing of personal data concerning them is in breach of the GDPR or the 1st or 2nd Main Part of the Austrian Data Protection Act.

Links to external websites (external links)

BOKU's e-learning systems may contain links to external, i.e. third-party, websites. However, BOKU has no influence on their contents and on the data protection standards of such linked sites. Liability on the part of BOKU for external links is therefore excluded.

Contact details

Controller

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33
1180 Vienna

Data protection officer

Muthgasse 11/2
1190 Vienna
datenschutz(at)boku.ac.at

For general and more detailed information on the topic of data protection at BOKU see www.boku.ac.at/datenschutz .

Contact person for BOKU's e-learning systems

Divison of E-Learning and Didactics/ E-Learning Team
Muthgasse 11/B-02-17
1190 Vienna
e-learning(at)boku.ac.at