GDPR-compliant e-learning with BigBlueButton, Moodle and Nextcloud - data protection begins with the little ones
In the academic corona crisis, teaching has suddenly shifted from school to digital space. The domestic classroom poses new challenges for everyone involved. We think: Schools have to rely significantly more on data protection-compliant, decentralized and open-source solutions in homeschooling! Because, while restaurants and cafés are opening again in Germany, school operations remain anything but normal. The use of digital open source solutions is required here. We introduce BigBlueButton and our favorite combination.
BigBlueButton (BBB for short) is a web conferencing system for e-learning.
The platform enables the common use of multiple video and audio formats, a whiteboard, a chat, jointly editable notes and a screen sharing function in real time. Additionally, lessons and lectures can be recorded.
Tools tailor-made for teachers
Teachers can share their audio data, slides, chats, videos and desktops with the students. Integrated surveys also make it easy to involve students in the classroom. When using the whiteboard tool, the information entered is made available to the students in real time. Teachers have the option to zoom into presentation slides, to highlight them and to draw and write in them. This results in a visual improvement in the classroom.
BBB for group work
The fact that a BBB activity can be opened for a work group also enables group work without moderation. The room initiator can give all participants moderation rights so that they can use all functions in BBB. Every participant in an online group work is free to use their own webcam. This makes it possible, for example, that requests to speak can be signaled using hand signals. Furthermore, participants can chat with each other and exchange information.
The simple API makes it easier to integrate your own products and scores with a long list of available integration options with third-party applications such as Canvas, Drupal, RedMine, Wordpress and much more. BBB can be integrated into Moodle LMS, so that participants who did not take part in a live session can view it later.
It also enables students to access materials for the webinar and other activities such as submissions of tasks, discussions in forums, creation of a joint results protocol in wikis etc.
Data protection
The video and web conference system is encrypted with SSL due to strict data protection regulations. The server location is in Germany, however BigBlueButton can also be operated on its own servers. The data transmission is additionally secured by SRTP, which is suitable for the encrypted transmission of communication over the Internet. Another positive feature: The recording of the lessons requires the data protection consent of all those involved before the recording begins.
More information about BigBlueButton is also available at https://www.aixzellent.com/en/premium_e-learning
Our favorite combination: BBB, Moodle & Nextcloud
BBB and Moodle can be integrated in Nextcloud, so that the functions can be used, which are suitable for schools and teamwork. A secure data exchange, a course management system, simple operation and the use of the other collaboration tools in Nextcloud such as OnlyOffice, Chat, a calendar etc. make this combination particularly attractive. In addition, BBB and Moodle can only be hosted in Germany through the integration in Nextcloud, so that a GDPR-compliant operation is possible.
More Information about the Nextcloud is also available at https://www.aixzellent.com/en/premium_privateclouds
The (partial) closure of schools and other educational institutions leads to great uncertainty. It is clear that with the right e-learning tools, protect not only the smallest of our society, but teachers and students can be relieved and lessons at home can be made as attractive as possible. If schools and other educational institutions are now not ready to choose secure solutions in favor of data protection, in the long term, this will be at the expense of privacy and data protection.
