A good piece from the AAUP’s Academe on the encroachment of corporate software (like so-called “learning management systems” (LMSs)):
While commercialization of data, including user-generated content and intellectual property, occurs behind the scenes unregulated, senior administrators who license and purchase such systems are often complicit in profit-driven contracts that heavily advantage corporate vendors and force end users to agree to all terms in their entirety to use the service. For a student, not using the service would mean not enrolling in a given class, because use of these platforms is often compulsory. Indeed, at Rutgers, as at many colleges and universities, students and instructors are never asked to give consent for their data to be used in LMS platforms. The university does so for us, on our behalf, without making this evident or explicit to us.
The authors, all based at Rutgers, summarize a report they completed for their AAUP chapter—and link to a companion journal article.
Since the Academe piece was published: Canvas maker Instructure was acquired by private equity firm KKR for $5 billion.