Authors:
Basmah Almekhled
1
;
2
and
Helen Petrie
1
Affiliations:
1
Department of Computer Science, University of York, Heslington East, York, U.K.
;
2
College of Computing and Informatics, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Keyword(s):
Online Higher Education, Privacy and Security Concerns in Online Teaching, Trust in Online Teaching, Videoconferencing Technologies, Webcam Use.
Abstract:
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly using online teaching, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous digital technologies are now used in online teaching, such as videoconferencing for online classes. This has raised privacy and security concerns for students, as well as a reluctance to have webcams on during online classes. This study investigated the privacy and security concerns in online teaching of HEI students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as well as their trust in a range of actors and entities involved in online teaching. It also investigated their use of webcams and their reasons for having their webcams off during online classes. The study was conducted in the real-world context of online courses at a HEI in KSA. It found high levels of concern about online privacy in relation to the institution, but moderate levels in relation to instructors and classmates and in relation to online security. Complex, unexpected relationships were found be
tween online privacy and security concerns and trust. As with previous research, students were reluctant to have their webcams on for a variety of reasons, often concerned with privacy of personal information. Only trust in instructors was a significant predictor of whether students were likely to have their webcams on during online classes.
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