Effective Date: 30/06/2021

INDES Virtual platform Privacy Policy

I. INTRODUCTION

This Privacy Notice sets forth the data protection practices of the Inter-American Institute for Economic and Social Development (INDES) website of the Inter-American Development Bank (“IDB”, “we” and “us”), through BIDAcademy, and the tools accessible through that website (the “Site”).  The use of certain features of the Site requires your registration, establishment of a user identification and acceptance of specific provisions contained in the terms of use. 

This Privacy Notice explains how we will collect use, store and share your personal data.  For the purposes of this Privacy Notice, “Personal Data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual.

As the Site is updated and expanded, our Privacy Notice may change, so please review the posted Privacy Notice from time to time.  We will notify you about material changes in the way we treat Personal Data by placing a notice on the Site or by sending you an e-mail (if you have provided us your e-mail address).

II. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION THROUGH THE SITE

Information You Provide

We will collect Personal Data you voluntarily provide to us upon registration or if you share Personal Data in other manners, such as uploading documents on the Site (e.g. quizzes, exams and questionnaires), using chats, or if you contact us using the link provided in Section V below. For the avoidance of doubt, if you enroll in a paid course and provide your credit card information, the IDB does not store such information. All transactions are processed via Stripe.  

Information Automatically Collected

Like many websites, this Site uses “cookies” and “web beacons”.  We obtain certain information by automated means when you visit this Site, such as the IP address of the device you use to connect to the Internet and the pages accessed.  By collecting this information, we learn how to best tailor the Site to our visitors.  We collect this information through various means, including “cookies” and “web beacons”.  To learn more about cookies, you may visit this website about cookies.

Information We Collect from Third Parties

This Site does not collect any information on you from other sources.

Use of Information Collected Through the Site

We may use the Personal Data we collect from you (as described above) to manage your account on the Site.   If you enable specific settings to authorize the IDB to communicate with you via e-mail or you contact the IDB through the links provided in the Site, we may use the Personal Data we collect from you to communicate with you regarding the Site and the learning products included therein, including, among others, by responding to your inquiries, providing personal feedback, sending you reminders to finish a course, and/or issuing a certificate or digital badge. 

In addition, we may use your Personal Data for recordkeeping purposes within the IDB, and we may combine the Personal Data we collect from you with other information, including both Personal Data and non-Personal Data obtained from other sources, including other Site users, for purposes of analysis, benchmarking, identification of trends, relevant to the Site and the IDB’s objectives, and for improving the Site and its tools.

We use the non-identifiable information we collect to analyze Site visitor behavior as a measure of interest in, and use of, the Site and of the various services and tools we offer.  This information is used to create aggregate statistics regarding, for example, when the Site is accessed, the pages which refer visitors to the Site, the type of web browsers visitors use, which pages of the Site are viewed, and which features of the Site are used and how.  These statistics help us understand how the Site is used and provide us with valuable information for improving the Site in the future.

As explained in the Site’s Terms and Conditions of Use and this Privacy Notice, with the exception of the information a Site user provides solely for registration purposes or the name and e-mail a Site user provides via the link indicated in Section V below, Personal Data voluntarily provided may be accessed by other Site users.

III. SHARING OF INFORMATION COLLECTED THROUGH THE SITE

Legal Obligation Disclosures

We do not sell or otherwise disclose Personal Data collected as set out above, except as described in this Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions of Use.

We may also disclose Personal Data or other information collected through the Site in response to legal process or when we believe in good faith that the law requires it: for example, in response to a court order, search warrant, subpoena, or other legally valid inquiry or order, or to an investigative body when required or permitted by law.  We also may disclose such information, where necessary, to protect the security and operation of the Site or the IDB systems and databases or the rights of other Site users, and to protect ourselves and our partners, affiliates, consultants, suppliers, and providers against liability, or if we have reason to believe that someone is causing or threatening to cause injury to or interference with the IDB’s rights or property, as well as to protect against fraud.

Personal Data may also be shared with third-party service providers who perform services for us.  These service providers are not authorized by us to use or disclose the Personal Data, except as necessary to perform specific services for the IDB.  We require our partners and service providers to appropriately safeguard the privacy and security of the Personal Data they process on our behalf.  Where appropriate, we enter into data protection agreements with third parties.

Business Transfers

In the event the IDB decides to assign this Site to a thirty party, we may transfer your Personal Data as part of the transaction.  The IDB will use reasonable efforts to assure that your Personal Data will remain subject to the same types of protection as it was prior to the transfer.  However, once your Personal Data is transferred in such a transaction, it will no longer be subject to this Privacy Notice, and you will need to review the policies and practices of the party receiving the information to learn about the protection then accorded to the Personal Data.

Updates to Personal Data

You may update or correct information contained in your account or profile information from time to time, or you may request that we correct, update, or delete your Personal Data that we have collected by contacting us through the link indicated in Section V of this Privacy Notice.  We will endeavor to comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable.  However, we may limit your request for an operational, recordkeeping, or legal purpose.  There may also be residual information that will remain within our databases and other records, which will not be removed.  For your protection, we will only implement such requests with respect to the Personal Data associated with the particular email address that you use to send us your request, and we may ask you for additional information to verify your identity before implementing your request.

We note, however, that we cannot control the use or retransmission of any Personal Data that has already been retrieved by any visitor to the Site, if any.

Data Security

We have appropriate technical security measures in place to prevent Personal Data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorized way.

We have appropriate operational security measures in place to ensure role-based access and best practice handling of Personal Data.  We limit access to your Personal Data to those who have a genuine business need to know it.

We also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach.  We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.

Data Retention

We retain Personal Data and non-identifiable information collected through the Site for operational, recordkeeping and legal purposes.  We will retain Personal Data about you for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Site or our data retention policies that apply to such information.  There may also be non-identifiable information collected through the Site and other residual information that will remain within our databases and other records, which will not be removed, as previously stated in this Privacy Notice and/or in the Terms and Conditions of Use.

International Data Transfers

When you submit information to us through the Site or otherwise, that information (including any Personal Data) will be processed in the United States and/or in any other member country of the IDB.  The data protection and other privacy laws of the United States or any of these countries may not afford the same level of protection as the laws of certain other countries.  By providing Personal Data to the IDB through the Site or otherwise, you are in acceptance of the transfer of your information to the United States or any other member country of the IDB, in accordance with the measures of protection described in this Privacy Notice.

Linked Services – Third-party content

The Site may contain links to third-party websites or apps.  Our provision of a link to any other website or location is for your convenience and does not signify our endorsement of such other website or location or its contents.  The IDB does not control the privacy practices of those websites or apps, or other services that are operated by third parties, and they are not covered by this Privacy Notice.  Thus, we recommend that you review the privacy policies, terms and conditions and practices of other websites, apps or services you use to learn about their data practices.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS

Privileges and Immunities

Nothing contained in the Site or in this Privacy Notice shall operate or be regarded as a waiver, renunciation or modification of any right, privilege or immunity of the IDB pursuant to the Agreement Establishing the Inter-American Development Bank, international conventions or any other applicable laws.

Language

Any version of this Privacy Notice in a language other than English is provided for convenience and you understand and agree that the English language version will control if there is any conflict.

V. Image Usage Policies - Synchronous Sessions

Keep in mind that courses that have synchronous sessions through video conferencing software will be recorded and shared in the virtual classroom.

If you have participated in such session, your name, image and audio may become part of this recording. These recordings will be uploaded to https://live.indesvirtual.org/. If the webinar is carried out in an external tool, the recordings will be published on YouTube in a hidden way. 

Downloading these videos and/or sharing their links is prohibited.

One year after the end of the course, these videos will be deleted.

VI. CONTACTING US

If you have any requests, questions or comments regarding our privacy practices for the Site, you may contact us by completing the INDES-Help Form.

INDES Virtual Classroom Accessibility practices

"Web accessibility" refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users have equal access to information and functionality (Salisbury University, n.d.).

The purpose of this page is to provide information about the practices related to accessibility which are followed by INDES, through BIDAcademy, in the development of its online courses with the aim of offering online courses that are accessible to all.

Accessibility good practices in our courses

At INDES we aim to achieve high levels of accessibility, and for this reason, we have begun to implement a set of best practices as part of the development of our courses. We have also embarked in a continuous process of fixing accessibility issues that might remain in our existing courses.

The development of our courses is guided by the WCAG 2.1 criteria. WCAG 2.1 was published in December 2008 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international community of experts working together to develop web accessibility standards. Among other criteria, we focus on implementing the following standards: providing text alternatives for any non-text component (including captions or transcripts for audio and video), ensure adequate color contrast, navigation via keyboard only, adequate for screen reader use, adequate document structure through headings, adequate readability, and input assistance, (WebAIM checklist)

We manage accessibility matters by checking existing content, prioritizing content revision according to accessibility standards and providing direct support to users. Requests for technical support can be made by completing the following form: INDES-HELP.

We use applications from other providers on our platform. Below you will find the link to their accessibility policies: H5P, Turnitin, Stripe, Open Badge Factory, Adobe, Youtube, Genially and Microsoft.

Academic Integrity

The following document covers the following:

About Academic Integrity
Academic Dishonesty
Procedures to follow when there is suspicion of violation of academic integrity (academic dishonesty)
Disciplinary actions in case of proven academic dishonesty
Appeal Process
Tools for preventing academic dishonesty

Introduction

The Inter-American Development Bank – IADB, as a leader in training professionals on issues related to development in Latin America and the Caribbean, offers courses with high quality standards that satisfy the learning needs of all participants.

To ensure that standards of academic integrity are kept at its highest levels, we invite you to review this policy in order to understand the fundamentals of academic integrity and to be aware of the actions that will be taken when academic dishonesty and plagiarism have been detected.

The following policy describes integrity from an academic perspective and the procedures that will be followed when finding specific evidences of academic dishonesty or plagiarism.

I. About Academic Integrity

IDB defines integrity as a set of values that portray honest, respectful, responsible and assertive actions. It is a desire in our learning environments that the actions from our participants express:

• Honesty: to show knowledge about each and every decision or action taken during any learning activity, acknowledging ideas and words used by others by referencing the proper sources.
• Respect: to foster an environment that promotes honesty and open communication, acknowledging the work of others.
• Responsibility: to make decisions and take actions during all activities, bearing in mind that academic dishonesty and plagiarism are not actions accepted within any of our courses.
• Assertiveness: to act according to the rules, identifying the acceptable criteria for an appropriate relationship between participants and IADB.

The following information describes the policy related to identifying, communication and dealing with academic dishonesty. It includes processes and procedures, and defines the roles both IDB staff and participants will take in such situations.

II. Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is defined as the inability of maintaining academic integrity within a learning environment. It includes but is not limited to the following situations:

• Plagiarism: iIt is comprised of, but not limited to, the following actions, which may or may not be intentional:
  • Copy-and-paste text of any online document without using quotes and properly cite the source;
  • Copy text from any source (in print or digital format) without using quotes and proper citation;
  • Present any work done by someone else as your own;
  • Missing proper citation of sources of information and ideas;
  • Edit slightly texts (change of a few words or order of words) that come from an external source without providing proper citation;
  • Translate text without providing proper citation of actual source;
• Dishonesty: comprised but not limited to the following actions:
  • Offer bribes for the elaboration of tasks, and present them partially or fully as your own;
  • Buy or acquire exam answers and results;
  • Ask for certificates and diplomas assuming someone else’s identity
• Cheating: within an academic context, cheating is defined as an intentional behavior, where the subject seeks out personal benefit that goes against the ethical principles of the educational institution Falsifying documents: in an academic context, the falsification of documents is defined as an act of manipulation of information to fulfill registration and/or obtain diplomas, certificates from the educational institution without successfully complying with defined requirements.

III. Procedures in cases where there is suspicion of academic dishonesty

In INDES, we understand that learning processes are a necessary part of vocational training and life in general. Rather than wanting to implement punitive processes, we focus on using such situations as learning opportunities towards greater authenticity. With this in mind, we will comply to the following procedures listed below when there are any suspicions of academic dishonesty:

1. Reporting the suspicion of academic dishonesty: In case the instructor or tutor in an INDES courses has a suspicion that one or more participants are involved in any action of academic dishonesty, such suspicion must be reported with the appropriate evidence to the Coordinator of the course
2. Inform the participant of the suspicion: The Coordinator will notify the participant(s) within 3 working days of the received report about the suspicion of academic dishonesty. The participant will have an opportunity to present his/her justification within 3 working days following the notification of such suspicion. The participant will remain in the class during the next steps and should continue to be involved in the course as s/he waits for the resolution on his/her case.

IV. Assess the case of academic dishonesty

The coordinator will have 7 days (after the first notification) to process and decide on a given case. The coordinator will solicit documents as evidence to support the case to the tutor. If, after receiving the justification and looking into the provided documentation, the Coordinator determines that there hasn’t been any act of academic dishonesty, the case is immediately closed. If on the other hand, the Coordinator believes that the provided evidence supports the suspicion of academic dishonesty, and that the participant’s justification does not change this outcome, the coordinator will notify the participant within 7 working days (from the date of notification) with the decision of the outcome and the respective disciplinary action (see below).

V. Disciplinary actions in proved cases of academic dishonesty

In cases in which it has been proven that any academic dishonesty action has taken place, one or more of the following measures should be considered:

• Request submission of complete or partial new assignment/activity with specific short time frame. The new submission will be considered within a 100% of the original grade assigned to the activity, or within a reduced range.
• Immediate reduction of the grade for the assignment in question. The amount of the reduction will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the coordinator in consultation with the tutor.
• Grade of zero for the assignment/activity.
• Admonishment only, without any grade change. The assignment will be accepted and graded, and the participant will be cautioned about the seriousness of the incident, with a possible drastic measure of full dismissal in case such a situation reoccurs.
• Dismissal in cases where the situation is repeated. In such cases, the participant will not be allowed to take any future courses from INDES within a specific time frame.

Participants who have been dismissed from a course because of academic dishonesty will be ineligible for any INDES course for a full year starting on the date of the notification of the respective case.

V. Appeals process

In cases where the participant does not agree with the decision made by the coordinator, s/he can start an appeal process within three business days after the final decision. This will be done via email directly to the coordinator, through which the participant should state why his/her work should be re-considered.

VI. Tools to prevent academic dishonesty

With the goal of promoting a culture of academic integrity within all INDES courses, we provide below a list of tools and resources with further information on how to avoid academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

1. How to cite and create references in APA format?

http://bibliotecas.unam.mx/index.php/desarrollo-de-habilidades-informativas/como-hacer-citas-y-referencias-en-formato-apa

References for this document:

• Universidad Nacional Autònoma de Mèxico (s.f.)   ¿Cómo hacer citas y referencias en formato APA?, Recuperado de: http://bibliotecas.unam.mx/index.php/desarrollo-de-habilidades-informativas/como-hacer-citas-y-referencias-en-formato-apa
• Purdue University (w.d.) APA Style Introduction, retrieved from:  https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
• Normas APA a Chegg Service (s.f.) ¿Como hacer referencias y bibliografía en normas APA?, recuperado de:http://normasapa.com/como-hacer-referencias-bibliografia-en-normas-apa/

2. Examples of citations in different formats

https://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/styles/

3. Turnitin (http://www.turnitin.com)

Turnitin is software by INDES to prevent and detect possible cases of plagiarism during your academic activities within INDES online courses. This tool, which is embedded within our online platform, will allow students to visualize their work and improve their writing, while giving tutors the opportunity to detect cases of plagiarism.

4. How to avoid plagiarism - http://en.writecheck.com/ways-to-avoid-plagiarism/

Note: To correctly cite different bibliographical resources, there are a variety of formats and standards. The one adopted by INDES is called APA, in its 6th edition. The Internet has various sites with information on how to use the APA style appropriately.

References for this document:

• Medina, M. & Verdejo, A. (2011). Estrategias y recomendaciones para la prevención del plagio en el contexto universitario. Recuperado de http://cea.uprrp.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/estrategias_y_recomendaciones_en_prevencion_del_plagio_finalseg.pdf
• National University (2015). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. Recuperado de  https://www.nu.edu/studentservices/writingcenter/writingacrossthecurr/preventplagiarism/
• Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina y el Caribe, España y Portugal. (2015). Cómo citar con diferentes formatos . Recuperado de http://www.redalyc.org/comocitar.oa?id=27012440002
• Tecnológico de Monterrey (s.f.). Programa de integridad académica. Recuperado de  https://biblioteca.tec.mx/c.php?g=994491&p=7266025
• The University of Sydney (2011). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Policy. Recuperado de http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/254&RendNum=0
• University of Maryland University College (2015). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. Recuperado de  https://www.umgc.edu/administration/policies-and-reporting/policies/academic-affairs/academic-integrity  

• National University (2015). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. Recuperado de  https://www.nu.edu/studentservices/writingcenter/writingacrossthecurr/preventplagiarism/
• Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina y el Caribe, España y Portugal. (2015). Cómo citar con diferentes formatos . Recuperado de http://www.redalyc.org/comocitar.oa?id=27012440002
• Tecnológico de Monterrey (s.f.). Programa de integridad académica. Recuperado de  https://biblioteca.tec.mx/c.php?g=994491&p=7266025
• The University of Sydney (2011). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Policy. Recuperado de http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/254&RendNum=0
• University of Maryland University College (2015). Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. Recuperado de  https://www.umgc.edu/administration/policies-and-reporting/policies/academic-affairs/academic-integrity

Communication Policy

Context

INDES takes our communications seriously following ethical principles and maintaining respect. This Policy provides communication guidelines to all users taking part in any of our capacity building activities. These must be adhered to in the following situations:

1. Posting a message in a class forum (includes written, audio or video).

2. Writing or sharing messages in a group forum.

3. Contacting colleague/s from the course through the communication channels provided by the Virtual Classroom.

4. Communicating with the instructor, teacher or teacher assistant

5. Opening a ticket or sending messages to technical support.

6. Any communication during live sessions associated in any way to the course.

This list does not encompass all situations related to communication.

Communication Guidelines:

1. Think before writing. Avoid words that may be annoying or offensive. What is considered "offensive" can vary widely, remember that different cultures have different customs.

2. Consider that in the activity in which you participate there are always people with different educational and cultural background, age, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, etc

3. Avoid phrases that can/may be offensive from the point of view of religion, gender, race, politics, or sexuality.

4. In writing, it is not possible to give intonation. Often this could lead to misinterpretations. Write as clear and neutral as possible to avoid confusion.

5. Reprimanding attitudes are often unwelcome, especially if they are manifested in public. An observation expressed in a moderate tone is always better accepted.

6. Sarcasm or contempt due spelling or grammatical errors is unethical and inappropriate to express.

7. In synchronous sessions, if you are allowed and can use your microphone, first raise the “virtual hand” and wait to be called upon. It is inappropriate to interrupt a colleague who is speaking.

8. In chat, whether used in synchronous or asynchronous sessions, express your comments politely, with respect to the moderator and/or the presenter, avoiding confrontations of any kind.

9. It is not allowed to send internal messages to others or post messages in forums with any kind of solicitation, marketing or promotion of products of any kind.

We recommend reviewing the Netiquette Rules posted in the virtual classroom to learn how to best write emails and messages in forums.

Actions in case there is any breach of the stated guidelines:

INDES understands that communication is part of the learning processes we are engaged in during our courses. Our first intention is not to implement sanctions. We envision s space where users have meaningful opportunities of respectful expression. That said, here are possible actions that will be taken when the policy guidelines are breached. Decisions about the course of action will depend on each situation and/or the case:

• Deletion of any offensive and/or unethical post (written, audio or video) from the respective forums after notifying the participant in private.
• Mediação de um professor quando surja uma situação de comunicação ofensiva em um fórum de classe, seja em trabalho geral ou colaborativo.
• Muting microphone and/or removal from synchronous sessions when there are affronts or offenses towards others, be them moderators or other participants, either verbally or in writing.
• Removal and/or blocking participation in a chat when disrespectful and/or unethical comments are made.
• In the case of disrespectful private messages directed at the teacher or peer, the following might be considered as an appropriate course of action: in the case of a first offense, the user will be notified with a request of specific steps to be taken according to the situation; in the case of a repeated offense, at the discretion of INDES, the user might be removed from the course.

In any of the situations above, the aggrieved person should notify the teacher or facilitator of the respective course, workshop or event, who will review the case in coordination with INDES.

The communication of the situation can be carried out via:

• opening a ticket in INDES HELP or,
• using the internal messaging channel to contact the teacher of the course.