Contemporary technology has created unprecedented opportunities to create radical improvements in learning, educational achievement, and social mobility, but also conditions under which information about learners and workers is collected continuously and often invisibly. The use of such evidence to pursue research must proceed in ways that respect the privacy, dignity, and discretion of the people they describe.
At the same time, the potential of new data sources to improve educational attainment and social mobility remains under-realized. In addition to technical and coordination challenges, researchers, administrators, and employers are facing complex questions about how to use these data responsibly. Pathways researchers contribute to ongoing national and international efforts to specify responsible behavior in the active utilization of data to improve learning and progress at school and at work.