Death to the Dropbox

On Thursday, Patrick and I will present a poster titled, “Death to the Dropbox.” And by death to the dropbox, we mean, don’t use the dropbox.

Why?

Because online, student privacy has gone too far.

Even as more and more studies and common sense experience point to the importance of social interaction in online courses as a key success factor, we find more and more faculty eliminating conversation by asking students to turn in work privately. Once inside the dropbox, the instructor secretly pulls it out, surreptitiously grades it, then quietly slides it back into the dropbox for the student, and only the student to see.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, we find effective teachers asking students questions in class, having student present projects and papers, showing off work and performing in front of their fellow learners, experts and the teacher.

Private feedback has its place in education, for sure. But the vast majority of feedback can and should be public.

So we say, Death to the Dropbox!