Researchers warn against careless use and see new levels of surveillance reached
The free app “ ClassDojo ” is intended to give educators a new way to motivate their students to behave more positively in a playful way. University of South Australia (UniSA) show that using the software in lessons is not entirely unproblematic. For them, the app, which allows teachers to rate students' performance with scores that can also be viewed by classmates or parents, has reached a new level of monitoring.
“Culture of Spying”
“ClassDojo is nothing more than another data-collecting surveillance technology that contributes to the fact that we are increasingly living in a culture of spying on each other, which we now perceive as completely normal even at school.”
...says lead UniSA study author Jamie Manolev. The app conditions students to accept being constantly monitored. “ The monitoring mechanisms implemented extend even beyond the walls of the classroom. “For example, teachers can pass on data about the behavior of individual children directly to their parents ,” criticizes the researcher.
A big problem with the app is that it focuses on forcing children and young people to behave in a more disciplined manner instead of teaching them from the ground up and explaining why this is important from a social perspective. “ The point system used here reduces student behavior to a single number. This creates the illusion that it would all be so easy. In addition, this increases the pressure of competition among each other and there is a risk that the children will find themselves in a kind of hierarchy in the classroom ," says Manolev.
Already used in 180 countries
ClassDojo claims to be one of the world's most popular education apps, used by millions of teachers and students in 180 different countries. Its interface is child-friendly and colorful: each child can choose their own avatar - a laughing cartoon monster that represents them in the program. Based on his individual behavior in different areas, teachers can then assign positive, neutral or negative ratings. The result is an overall ranking of “Dojo points”, which can be either in the green or red area.
“ In some places, this application has already expanded into a school-wide social media network. Headmasters, teachers, students and parents can register as users ,” says Manolev. This would give them the opportunity to get an insight into their offspring's current Dojo points rating at any time or to have weekly reports sent to their own inbox. “ This not only leads to more surveillance, but also undermines the relationship of trust between parents and their children ,” warns the scientist.
Source: press release
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