scope:

In order to determine the need and focus of LET standards in support of privacy protection requirements applicable to personal information of an individual learner, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36 established an "Ad-Hoc on Privacy (AHP)"1. The results of this detailed preparatory work and survey by this JTC1/SC36 AHP the identified user requirements and serve as the basis for the need for this multipart standard. {See further Annex F below} ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36 considers it important that international standards which facilitate the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) be structured to be able to support legal requirements of the jurisdictional domains in which they are to be implemented and used. This is particularly so where such standards are used to capture and manage recorded information for decision-making about individuals. Common legal and regulatory requirements of this nature, which impact the development of ICT-based standards, include those of a public policy nature such as those pertaining to consumer protection, privacy protection, individual accessibility, human rights, etc. The role of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36 is to develop ICT-based standards in the fields of learning, education and training (LET). Since the application and use of a majority of JTC1/SC36 standards involve the role of an individual as "learner", i.e. as an "individual learner", this means that any recorded information on or about an identifiable individual as a "learner" is subject to applicable privacy/data protection a requirement. Within the international standards organizations of the ISO, IEC, and ITU, various standards development committees are addressing the issue of privacy/data protection in their particular areas of responsibility2104 . Consequently, many standards development projects addressing privacy/data protection requirements in a specified area of application are under way, near completion, or in process of being launched.3 Given the importance of ensuring that its standards development projects also support privacy/data protection requirements, where applicable, JTC1/SC36 decided at its 2006 Wuhan China Plenary meeting to establish an "Ad-Hoc Group on Privacy (AHP). A key work component of this Ad-Hoc Group on Privacy was to undertake a survey on privacy requirements of its P-member bodies4. (The mandate and objectives of this JTC1/SC36 AHP as well as the Survey instrument are stated in document 36N1436). The results of the work of the JTC1/SC36 Ad-Hoc on Privacy, including that of its "Questionnaire" as a key instrument in its Survey on Privacy Protection requirements for education, learning and training (LET) a.k.a., "e-learning", demonstrated clearly the need for this proposed standards project. Additional contributions to the AHP provided additional documentation on the need for this standards project. In addition, the vast majority of JTC1/SC36 P-members represent jurisdictional domains which are governed by privacy/data protection requirements of a legislative/regulatory nature. Consequently, for any JTC1/SC36 standard which pertains to "individuals" as participants in a learning process, to be able to be implemented and used in the jurisdictional domain of the P127 member must be able, or structured to be able, to support applicable privacy protection requirements.