LearnSci Privacy Policy - using our resources
Who we are
This website is provided by Learning Science Ltd (trading as LearnSci), a private company specialising in designing and developing learning technology for science and engineering. We provide content at the request of your education institution.
LearnSci is committed to your privacy. Any information you supply to us will be kept in confidence and not shared for marketing purposes.
Please read on for more details on what data we collect and what we do with it.
What information we collect and how we use it
Our web services (Showcase, Labs, Resources, TQ, Direct)
If you use our web services, we collect:
- your full name*
- email address*
- institution
(*providing your institution has agreed to share this information with us, if they don’t agree to this you will instead be identified via a random unique identifier.)
Our legal basis for collecting this information is:
- contractual obligation - we will use this information to provide your subscription. We ask for your institution to help us understand our audience and target our services.
We also collect:
- standard IP address and visitor behaviour patterns
- your activity accessing and using resources, any grades
- the city in which you are located*
(* optional for users to provide. Other optional fields include website, ICQ number, Skype number/MSN)
Our legal basis for collecting this information is:
- legitimate interests - we use this information to help us understand how and when our resources are accessed in order to improve our service.
Data is processed in the following locations:
- We use a third party open source system, Moodle, to provide access to our learning resources. Moodle does not collect or store any data. The information is collected and stored in the United Kingdom on a server hosted by Linode. Linode’s security policy is available here: https://www.linode.com/legal-security/
- We use a third party, Google Analytics, to collect information about the use of Moodle, which is used to help us to make improvements to the site. Google Analytics stores information about pages visited, visit duration, and any actions taken on the site. Google does not collect or store your personal information (e.g. your name or email address) so this data cannot be used to identify you. For more information visit: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245
- We use a third party to provide additional platform support services, Overt Software Solutions Ltd. All data remains on our servers during the course of their work and is not collected or stored by them.
We retain this data:
- for the duration of your contract (or for six years, whichever is shorter) plus one year. We will notify you with details of any planned deletion at least three months before data is deleted. This is in line with the JISC guidance for assessments.
- Anonymised data will be retained for analytics and reporting.
What we will and will not do
- We will only disclose your personal information to other organisations if we are required to do so by law, in order to help investigate/prevent unlawful activity, in order to defend our legal rights or to prospective buyers or sellers of company assets.
- We will take reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. Of course, data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.
- We do not source the above data from publicly accessible resources.
- We will not provide your personal information to any other organisations or third country for the purpose of direct marketing.
- Only data that is required to deliver the service is held by Learning Science. No sensitive data is held that relates to your personal records.
- We will not use any information you provide for the purposes of automated decision making, including profiling.
Cookies
As is common practice with almost all professional websites, this site uses cookies. Cookies are tiny text files that are downloaded to your computer. They act as memory, allowing the website to remember your computer on a return visit. We set site preference cookies so any preferences you set while using this site are recorded for your next visit.
You can disable cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser Help for how to do this). Be aware that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of this and many other websites that you visit. Disabling cookies will usually result in also disabling certain functionality and features of this site. You can delete cookies stored on your computer using your file management software.
Other websites
The website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies of these other websites.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes. This policy was last updated on 24 April 2023 to comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Your rights
Data Rights Requests (DRR)
You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you. Any such request should be sent to
info@learnsci.com or made through the Moodle interface. There is no fee unless the request is excessive or unfounded. We will require proof of your identity to carry out the request (e.g. passport, driving licence). We will respond within 30 days of your request, which starts immediately on receipt of the request, unless a payment is due in which case it commences once the payment has been received.
Amending or erasing your personal information
If you want to amend/rectify or delete (erase) the personal data we hold or have any questions about this policy, please write to us by email to
info@learnsci.com or by post to LearnSci, 3 Orchard Court, St Augustine’s Yard, Bristol, BS1 5DP.
Making a complaint
The Information Commissioner (ICO) is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. If you have any concerns regarding our privacy practices, please visit this page https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ on the ICO’s website where you can raise these concerns with them directly.