Building digital trust in higher education
In an era where digital experiences permeate every aspect of our lives, the concept of digital trust is emerging as a cornerstone of effective, ethical and transformative technology design. This theme took center stage at a recent fireside chat with Kate Giovacchini, Executive Director of the Trusted Learner Network (TLN) and ASU Pocket, and Donna Kidwell, acting CIO of the University of Toronto (and former Chief Information Security and Digital Trust Officer at ASU), where they explored the evolving concept of trust and its implications in digital education.
Covering a wide range of topics — from data transparency to trustworthiness and what it means to be a good digital citizen — the conversation, which took place in celebration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, delved into what it means to empower learners with agency and the tools to understand trust.
Defining digital trust
The conversation began by addressing what digital trust entails; Giovacchini framed it as an extension of interpersonal and institutional trust, which many are already familiar with, into digital realms.
In a university setting, institutional trust begins at the application process. “Students come to us and they give us their social security number, their financial information, their parents’ financial information, every place they’ve lived in the past eight years — that’s our application,” Giovacchini said. “People have institutional trust in us to protect that information, but also to use that information effectively so that we can enter into an ongoing relationship together.”
Digital trust is constantly being built and eroded, but positive trust can be enhanced through time when students are informed about how their data is used, they have the choice to give or withhold consent, and, most importantly, that students feel empowered with control over their personal information. In Giovacchini’s work with the Trusted Learner Network, she explained that she thinks about trust as learner and user agency: “How are we enhancing our trust relationship by creating more exchange and giving data back to the learner so they can use it for their future.”
Kidwell added transparency is key. “If we’re able to be transparent about that data and then offer it back to learners so that they have better decision making tools about their own journey, that’s an exciting place to be.”
TLN: Empowering learners through ownership
Data transparency creates agency, so naturally Kidwell and Giovacchini’s conversation transitioned to talking about the Trusted Learner Network (TLN), which seeks to give learners and earners control and portability of their educational data and credentials.
The TLN is designed to make academic data more accessible and relevant as students move through their lifelong learning journeys, helping them present a more comprehensive narrative of their skills and achievements. Through the TLN, students can curate, manage and transport their records seamlessly, using them across various stages of their personal and professional lives.
“Our learners are gaining awareness and access through a tool to reflect back on and explore previous experiences and explore ways for moving forward,” Giovacchini said.
Aligning technology with the mission of higher education
A key part of the discussion was the importance of aligning any technological innovation with the mission and core values of higher education. Kidwell and Giovacchini noted that initiatives like the TLN exemplify how technology can reinforce institutional missions when executed with care and intentionality. ASU’s charter emphasizes focusing on work that includes rather than excludes, and creates research of public value, both areas that are resonant with TLN and its team. “The work that we do as IT professionals should be traceable back to the mission, that we should be able to see that impact,” said Kidwell.
Giovacchini agreed that it’s about trustworthiness, stating: “It’s everybody’s job to honor the mission of the institution through all of our work. The one thing that has remained very constant during my work with ASU engineers, when you sit down in the sprint planning meeting or the project architecture meeting, there are always fabulous engineers who are setting the bar for safety, security, and [dedicated to] that mission.”
They emphasized that higher education institutions have a responsibility to model strong digital citizenship practices, not only by respecting privacy and data security but also by encouraging students to think critically about their digital interactions and data footprint. “What is our role in imbuing the next generation of digital citizens with a strong understanding of ‘this is how I want to be treated?’” asked Giovacchini. “As a co-author, you have a right, a say, you get to make decisions about how this works.”
In an environment where students are exposed to an ever-growing array of digital tools, higher education can lead by example, showing students the value of transparency and data ethics. Through this lens, technology becomes a tool to teach students not only academic skills but also the principles of responsible digital engagement.
Even more timely topics discussed
Entrepreneurship, agility, the promise and pitfalls of emerging technologies, and technology's role in building trust, agency, and transparency were just some of the dynamic themes explored during their virtual session.