Information Services

Blackboard Collaborate - Data Retention Policy

Information about data retention and deletion using Blackboard Collaborate.

Purpose and overview 

The University must comply with data protection legislation by regularly deleting personal data it no longer requires. In addition, since the start of the pandemic, our use of services has hugely increased and our storage requirements have increased to match.  

Many Collaborate sessions are recorded, but we know some of the recordings are never watched again at a future date.  These recordings may contain personal data and will take up storage space and so recordings should only be kept if they are useful to the audience who have access to watch them.   We are putting processes in place to delete content that is no longer in use.

Deletion of recordings 

We will fully delete recordings when they are older than 24 months old (in-line with lecture recording deletion). This clean-up process will be run every month. Deletion will impact all recordings  whether set up via Learn, Moodle or MyEd.

Instructions

Instructions for Storing Collaborate Recordings can be found on the Collaborate Recording and Storage Management

Converting recordings for storage elsewhere:   

1. If you are using Collaborate through Learn or Moodle: 

Learn: https://edin.ac/3odRb8x (PDF, Page 9)

Moodle (LTI): https://edin.ac/3oe8RRj  (PDF, page 15)

Moodle (Plugin): https://edin.ac/3bZJcVe   (PDF, page 9)

Please note that mp4 will contain only audio, video, any content that is shared during the presentation. You can separately download the text chat, participant list and any polling through View Session Reports.  

 

2. If you are using Collaborate through MyEd: https://edin.ac/3kN5Rti

Please note that mp4 will contain only audio, video, any content that is shared during the presentation. It does not record text chat, participants list, polling and breakout rooms.

If you require further assistance, please contact: IS Helpline  

Policy Information

This policy was approved on 20th of May by IT Committee and is effective from June 2021.   

The Learning, Teaching and Web Services section is responsible for maintenance and review of this policy.  The contact officer for the policy is Mark Findlay, Technology Enhanced Learning Team Manager (Mark.Findlay@ed.ac.uk).   

Amendments:  27 July 2023 -  Retention period increased to 24 months to align with updated Lecture Recording policy.

Next review due:  [Summer 2024]