Medical Education

Important information about the collection and use of MD Connect data

What types of data are involved?

As a user of the MD Connect platform, data related to your use of the platform and its services (analytics) are generated each time you interact with it. These data primarily involve historical records of the apps, and pages or resources you access from within MD Connect (i.e. usage logs). Student assessment data is collected external to the MD Connect platform, but linkage of MD connect analytics with data related to assessment activities provides important information on the relationship between learning activities and assessment performance. The linkage of assessment data is limited to simple scores or grades. All analytics data and any linked assessment data is stored and or supplied in an anonymised form - that is, it does not include any personal or potentially identifying information.

How are the data stored?

Analytics data related to the use of MD Connect will be stored on secure servers maintained by the MD Connect delivery team. Data will typically be stored for no more than 5 years from the date of collection.

Who can access the data?

Access to primary analytics data will only be available to members of the MD Connect delivery team. Processed analytics data may be provided to relevant DME staff for internal evaluation and reporting purposes. Anonymised analytics data may also be provided to researchers with approved ethics clearance (in which case access to and use of the data is limited to the terms of the relevant research ethics application).

How will the data be used?

MD Connect analytics data will be used or applied in a number of ways:

  1. To support the normal operation of MD Connect and its services.
  2. To monitor and evaluate the usage, utility and effectiveness of MD Connect and its services.
  3. To monitor and evaluate the usage, utility and effectiveness of learning activities delivered through MD Connect.
  4. To provide feedback on activity and/or progress (e.g. through individualised activity/progress 'dashboards') to student and staff users of MD Connect.
  5. To support research related to the MD Curriculum and its delivery (e.g. students' selection and use of learning resources) #.

# Analytics data that is accessed and utilised for research purposes may be reported through scholarly publications or presentations. These data will never include any personal or potentially identifying information.

If you have concerns or questions about the collection and use of MD Connect data…

If you have any concerns about the collection of data relating to your use of the MD Connect system or would like further information about how these data may be used then please contact us at mdc-research@unimelb.edu.au. Further information on research related to the use of MD Connect analytics data is available on the MD Connect research page and in the associated documents listed below. Additional information on the university's responsibilities relating to privacy and freedom of information are available here.

Associated documents

Understanding medical students' learning behaviour through analytics (plain language statement)

Routine linking of basic assessment and analytics data (plain language statement)