ReLEAF: A Socio-Technical Framework Bridging Custodians and Researchers for Trustworthy Data Sharing

2026-10-01

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenges of restricted data access due to ethical oversight and the lack of practical design guidelines in educational data sharing. To bridge data custodians and researchers, we propose a sociotechnical framework enabling trustworthy data sharing. Methodologically, the framework integrates differentially private synthetic data generation with controlled real-data validation. Grounded in design science research, it establishes a two-stage sharing mechanism guided by three core principles: embedding governance into workflows, specifying conditions of use, and fostering stakeholder engagement in data governance. Through three iterative evaluation cycles, the framework was refined to yield transferable guidelines and actionable practices for educational data sharing. Ultimately, this work provides an innovative pathway for balancing ethical compliance with research utility, offering both theoretical insights and practical solutions for responsible data sharing in education.

Abstract

Growing volumes of educational real-world data (ERWD) are being collected across learning platforms and institutional systems. Sharing these data within the Learning Analytics community offers substantial research opportunities, yet access remains limited by ethical, regulatory and governance constraints. Prior work has primarily focused on anonymisation techniques, but little attention has been paid to operational design of practical ERWD sharing, particularly how data custodians and researchers interact through privacy-preserving access mechanisms. To address this gap, we propose ReLEAF, a socio-technical framework that bridges data custodians and researchers by operationalising two-stage data sharing: 1) Differentially private synthetic data are shared for exploratory analysis, and 2) controlled real-data validation is performed on demand. Following a design-science research approach, we refine and formatively evaluate ReLEAF through three cycles involving 4 graduate students, 6 researchers, and 90 undergraduate students, respectively. Three design principles emerged through the cycles: P1) position privacy-preserving access mechanisms within the research workflow, P2) make the conditions for acceptable secondary use explicit and actionable, and P3) promote engagement with governance requirements rather than automate compliance decisions. Together, ReLEAF provides a concrete framework for trustworthy ERWD sharing, while the design principles offer transferable guidance for other data-sharing contexts.

Problem

• Educational Real-World Data
• Data Sharing
• Privacy-Preserving Access
• Data Governance
• Trustworthy Data

Innovation

• Differentially Private Synthetic Data
• Socio-Technical Framework
• Two-Stage Data Sharing
• Design Science Research
• Educational Real-World Data