LearnSci Direct

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.

Where access to our resources is provided through your institution (such as via Single Sign-On or an institutional registration code), your institution acts as the Data Controller and LearnSci acts as the Data Processor, processing data solely on their behalf and in accordance with a Data Processing Agreement (DPA). If you access our resources through such an institutional arrangement, please refer to your institution's privacy notice for full details.

LearnSci is committed to your privacy. Please read on for details of what data we collect and what we do with it.

 

What information we collect and how we use it

When you authenticate via your institution's Single Sign-On (SSO) or manually register an account using an institutional access code, we collect or receive:

• your full name

• your email address

• your institutional user ID (if accessing via SSO)

• your institutional affiliation and/or group status

Processing Role: For data received via SSO or institutional access codes, LearnSci acts strictly as a Data Processor. We process this data solely on the documented instructions of your institution (the Data Controller) to deliver the service (e.g., authenticating your access and provisioning your account). The lawful basis for this processing is determined and maintained by your institution.

We also collect:

• standard IP address and visitor behaviour patterns

• your activity accessing and using resources, and any grades

• responses to micro-surveys embedded within Smart Worksheets (e.g. ratings on difficulty or satisfaction)

• usage data via Google Analytics to help us improve our service and products

Legal basis:

• Anonymisation and Analytics: Where authorised by our Data Processing Agreement with your institution, we may anonymise and aggregate platform usage metadata. Once fully anonymised, this data no longer constitutes personal data under applicable local privacy laws. LearnSci uses this anonymous, aggregated data under our own Legitimate Interests to maintain system stability, optimise platform performance, and troubleshoot technical errors.

• Product Feedback: Feedback and responses provided in micro-surveys are used strictly to evaluate the educational efficacy of our resources and guide internal product updates. This feedback is separated from personal identifiers at the point of collection and analysed only in a strictly anonymised and aggregated format.

 

Where data is processed

We use a self-hosted, open-source Moodle instance to provide access to our learning resources. Data is collected and stored in Australia on a server hosted by Linode. Linode's security policy is available at: https://www.linode.com/legal-security

Usage data collected via Google Analytics is processed by Google LLC and may be transferred to servers in the United States. This transfer is made in accordance with applicable regional cross-border data transfer requirements. You can review Google's privacy practices at: https://policies.google.com/privacy

For institutional Single Sign-On (SSO) integrations, data is sourced directly and securely from your institution's identity provider. For self-registration, data is provided directly by you. No data is sourced from publicly accessible resources.

 

How long we retain your data

For the duration specified in our contract with your institution, or for up to six years after the academic year in which your last access took place, plus one year in backups.

 

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 or prevent unlawful activity, in order to defend our legal rights, or to prospective buyers or sellers of company assets.

We may use data collected from micro-surveys, alongside aggregated performance metrics, for product improvement. This data will be strictly anonymised and aggregated before use; no personal data (names, user IDs, email addresses, or specific identifiers) will be included in these materials.

We will take reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse, or alteration of your personal information. Data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.

Only data required to deliver the service is held by LearnSci. No sensitive personal records data is held.

We will not use any information you provide for the purposes of automated decision making, including profiling.

We will not provide your identifiable personal information to any other organisation or third country for the purpose of direct marketing.

 

Cookies

As is common practice with almost all professional websites, this site uses cookies. Cookies are tiny text files downloaded to your computer that allow the website to remember your preferences on return visits. We set site preference cookies so that 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

This website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies of those websites.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time by posting a new version to this website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes (linked in the footer of this site). This policy was last updated on 16 June 2026 to comply with regional privacy regulations, including the Australian Privacy Act, the New Zealand Privacy Act, and the South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)

Your rights

Data Rights Requests (DRR)

• Institutional SSO and Registered Users: Your institution is the Data Controller for data processed via your institutional access. Please direct data rights requests to your institution's Data Protection Officer or Privacy Officer. Your institution may instruct LearnSci to assist in fulfilling your request in accordance with our Data Processing Agreement.

• Direct review account users: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you. Requests should be sent to support@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

Please contact your institution's Data Protection Officer or Privacy Officer. They will coordinate with LearnSci as required.

 

Making a complaint

If you have any concerns regarding our privacy practices, please visit the website of your local privacy authority to raise these concerns directly, such as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at https://www.oaic.gov.au, the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) at https://www.privacy.org.nz, or the South African Information Regulator at https://inforegulator.org.za.