Opetusdata

Opetusdata is a Finnish term that refers to data collected and used in educational contexts to support teaching and learning. It encompasses information generated by students, teachers, and educational technologies during the process of instruction and assessment. In English, it is often described as education data or teaching data.

Typical opetusdata includes student identifiers, enrollment and attendance records, course and program information, assessment results and grades, learning progress, feedback from teachers, and usage logs from learning management systems and other digital tools.

Institutions use opetusdata to monitor student progress, plan instruction, allocate resources, generate reports for stakeholders, and support learning analytics and personalized learning. Data can inform curriculum development and quality assurance.

Because this data may be sensitive, its collection and processing are governed by data protection laws such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and national Finnish legislation. Privacy by design, data minimization, purpose limitation, and transparency are important considerations in handling opetusdata.

Data governance around opetusdata typically includes clearly defined roles (such as data controller and data processor), access controls, retention schedules, and secure data sharing practices. Effective governance helps protect privacy while enabling data-driven decision making in educational settings.

The term is widely used in Finnish educational technology discussions and policy, and its handling is a key aspect of data governance in schools, universities, and vocational institutes.