Port in education
The data donation software can also be used in the classroom, for digital literacy courses, methods courses, or any course that introduces students to digital trace data and the challenges of working with it ethically.
Three ways to use it in a course
Exploring digital footprints. Students load their own platform data exports into the Digital Footprint Explorer and see, in their own browser, exactly what platforms know about them. A starting point for discussions about digital traces, privacy, and platform power.
Participating in a data donation study. Students contribute data to a real study run on the software, then work with what they’ve shared to answer research questions as part of the course. A hands-on introduction to data donation as a method.
Designing their own study. Students set up extraction scripts and configure their own data donation task, learning the full pipeline from research question to data collection.
Resources for educators
The Digital Footprint Explorer is the easiest entry point: no setup, just point students at the URL. If a platform is missing or out of date for your course, get in touch and we can prioritize an update.
Do you want or need something more involved for your course? We can help you consider the infrastructure options available to you. Educators at Dutch institutions may also be able to use the Next platform for hosting for free.
Have a question or want to discuss your study?
We can answer your questions about:
- Using the software as a teaching tool
- Example curricula and student projects
- Getting set up for a course