At Showbie, we prioritize the security and privacy of our users, providing a range of features to safeguard classrooms and user accounts. Here's a breakdown of the security considerations made within our features and updates over the past several years:
Class Registration Settings
Controlled Access: With our class registration feature, teachers can manage who joins their classes, choosing from two settings: "By Approval," and "Closed." Similar settings also exist for Groups.
Notification System: Our Activity Center notifies teachers of requests by both teachers and students to join or leave classes, ensuring oversight and control.
Admin Dashboard Visibility and Analytics
Insightful Reporting: The Admin Dashboard provides valuable analytics on teacher, student, and parent accounts while prioritizing user privacy and security.
Limited Visibility: Certain features, like suggested user lists, are restricted, ensuring sensitive data remains protected. Additional lists, such as users connected to external classes, are surfaced with limited data to protect user privacy.
Admin Verification: Administrator access must be granted by the Showbie team to users designated during the purchasing process, or those requested by existing verified administrators.
Deactivate Teachers: Block an outgoing teacher’s access to Showbie while keeping the account under school control, allowing administrators to reassign classes to new teachers.
Email Verification
Enhanced Verification: Teacher and parent users with unverified emails receive limited functionality, with plans to further restrict access until verification is completed.
Alert System: Teachers are notified if someone attempts to create an account using their email, adding an extra layer of security.
Stronger Passwords
Password Requirements: We enforce strong password policies to enhance security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. Stronger password requirements are in place for teacher and parent accounts.
QR Code Sign-In: For younger students, QR code sign-in offers a secure and user-friendly login option that remains managed by teachers. Showbie QR codes have no logo or other identifying features included.
Conversational Features
Paid Access: To prevent misuse, all conversational features are behind a paywall, limiting interactions to one-on-one conversations for free or unverified users.
Co-teacher Oversight: Co-teachers and connected parents have visibility into class discussions and student folders, enhancing supervision. Co-teachers must be approved by an owner of the class prior to gaining access to class content. Parent access to classes is also optional and controlled by the teacher for each class.
Student Privacy
Limited Profile Information: Student accounts only require a username, password, and display name, none of which are required to include Personally Identifiable Information. This is to minimize data collected about student users and allow for flexibility in how students create accounts. If student accounts are created via SSO, these identifiers will be synced with the SSO platform and are not stored by Showbie.
Limited Profile Visibility: Students can only see the display name and profile picture of their connected teachers and peers, minimizing potential exposure to other user data.
MDM Settings for Enhanced Security
Showbie offers Mobile Device Management (MDM) settings on iOS to further bolster security on school-managed devices:
Disable Teacher Signup: Prevents the creation of new teacher accounts, maintaining control over user access.
Restrict Login Methods: Limit login options to preferred methods for teachers and students, ensuring consistency and security.
Profile Editing Restrictions: Prevent users from altering their profiles, safeguarding personal information.
By leveraging these features and settings, educators can confidently utilize Showbie as a secure and reliable platform for teaching and learning.