Make Online Learning Safe For Your Kids

Usha Sekar
Founder/CEO of Meemli,Inc, Neythri.org Founding Circle member

Even before the pandemic, parents were looking for online sites where the kids could learn. You know, for the heat-wave or cold-wave days, when going out is not appealing, and screen time with some learning thrown in seems so much better than more hours of watching (or digitally being) superheroes or flying unicorns. But now with the sudden onset of Covid -19 and the resulting shelter in place directions and school closures, parents, as well as teachers, have been scrambling to find and deliver online activities for the kids. And, given where we are now, though it is unclear when and how schools will reopen, it looks highly likely online learning is going to continue in some form.

Many parents, at least those with the capacity to do so, are searching for online offerings on their own to keep their kids learning and, to be frank, to keep them engaged and occupied as they can’t play sports, play with friends, go to an art class or do many of the activities they would have normally done. With summer camps either closed or dramatically reduced, it is most likely that parents will continue with some online options for kids, especially for academic programs.

This provides a great business opportunity for many, and that is essentially a good thing, but unfortunately it does not guarantee that every online program for your child, whether it is content or a tool or both, is safe for kids to interact with on their own. Private, for-profit companies that offer online tutoring/mentoring or other educational services have to meet the guidelines of the state boards of education and school districts. But if they are consumer focused and selling directly to parents, they are often leaving it up to the parent to verify suitability. It is up to the parents to select apps that they would feel comfortable letting the kids use on their own, and up to the teachers/school administrators to confirm that platforms they use to reach and teach their students are effective as well as safe.

Here are some tips to guide you on what you should look for when selecting online programs for your kids outside of what’s required for your child’s school (note: some of these criteria are slightly different for school-supported online programs.)

You’d think this is a no-brainer, but most of us tend to just click “agree” when presented with a bunch of obscure text on what a company’s privacy laws are about so we can get to the app. We’re adults, and if we choose to take the risk because we’re lazy or in a hurry, that’s up to us. But if it’s your child using the app, it’s a good time to pause and actually read the text.

Paying attention to privacy is pretty much paying attention to what data is collected and how is it shared. Do you want data collected on your child’s online actions which can be identified to the user (your child)? Do you want that data to be sold to other entities? No? If so, see what you can turn off without losing the functionality of the app. If that is not possible, find another option (and lodge a complaint!).

Also consider the data needed for registration. What is being required to get an account for the app? Ideally, for younger children, you should be signing up with your own email address. It might make sense, depending on the app, to share the grade and approximate age, or anything related to the app’s services (e.g. skill level for language apps), but be careful if the child’s personal information like date of birth is requested and stored.

Your child’s safety depends on their online interactions: who do they interact with and how.

If your child is not interacting with a person in any way, but is just watching a video or playing a solo game or clicking on multiple choice questions on quizzes (yes, they’re still there!), it’s probably pretty safe. As long as you have taken care of the privacy concerns and your device is protected (see below) you do not have to worry that much about the who and instead you can focus on the quality of the content.

But, if your child is connecting with a live person, then it’s important to know both the person’s credentials and how your child will be interacting with them. Schools (at least public schools) routinely require anyone who provides services to students, including volunteers, to go through a full background check before they can go onsite and work with them. Unfortunately, with the many amazingly useful connectivity features of remote learning tools, it is quite possible for ill-intentioned people to harm your child even if they don’t meet with them in person.

And one more thing that should not be new to you, be careful what you download and where you download it from and keep your virus protection up to date.

When “schooling” is partially or even fully online due to circumstances like the pandemic, the situation is different. The school often provides the tools/platform for the student’s learning, and assigns teachers to do the classes and guide the student.

In this case, the “who” is a credentialed and fully background checked adult, who would normally be teaching onsite so you can be more comfortable with tools like videoconferencing. The tools are often approved by school districts, though there might be some flexibility for teachers to add other tools if within guidelines (private schools may have more flexibility).

So given all the gotchas you’ve got to watch out for, how do you verify if a learning app or tool is acceptable for your child? Do you need to be a techie to do this?

The good news is that all this is doable. There are many people who’re doing good work in protecting kids online, all you have to do is get informed and pay attention to what your child is using. Online learning is here to stay and you can feel confident that with more parental (and teacher) involvement the solutions are only going to get better!

Author Bio:
After many successful years in information technology leadership, Usha Sekar is a passionate entrepreneur, working at the intersection of technology, education, equity and community and now leading Meemli, an education nonprofit.

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