Dropbox
Last updated
Last updated
Dropbox is a company that was created in 2007 by two MIT students. Its inception was due to one of the creators constantly forgetting to bring his flash drive to class. The tool is designed to allow easy access to personal and work files from anywhere that has an internet connection. It allows you to upload files to Dropbox’s server, and connect to their servers on multiple devices either through the software or web portal.
To create an account, you will need to go www.dropbox.com/login and click the blue link that says create an account. Dropbox requires a first name, last name, email address and password.
Figure 1
If you already have an account you can login.
You can sign up with your Google account.
You can download the computer application.
After creating an account and logging into Dropbox the home screen will be the first screen that is displayed. From here most interactions with Dropbox will be initiated.
Figure 2
Will bring you back to this home screen.
The file manager that lets you interact with all the files you have uploaded.
Create collaborative documents with other users.
Create a portfolio that you can share with clients or partners.
Displays all the documents you have “Starred” by clicking on option 10.
Search through uploaded and shared documents by keywords or titles.
Notifications that inform on changes that have been made or other important news.
Brings up a menu that:
Shows how much available space is left.
Allows the upload of an account picture.
Access additional settings.
Install the computer application.
Sign out.
Purchase additional storage capacity or other additional paid features.
Give a file “Starred” status so that it shows up on your home screen.
Share a document with another user.
Upload a file.
Create a shared folder were all the contents are shared with the desired users.
Show or hide recent files that have been edited or uploaded.
Does the same thing as 14.
The Files option (figure 2, option 2) will bring you to the file manager. This will display more in-depth information on the files such as last modified date and more options such as download, delete and share.
Figure 3
Reloads the default my files display.
Shows all the files that are currently being shared.
Send a file request to have someone upload a file to Dropbox, even if they are not a user.
Look through the history of deleted files, allows the restoration or permanent deletion of those files. Dropbox’s default backup period is 30 days but can be extended by upgrading the account.
Sorts the files by either ascending or descending alphabetical order.
Additional sorting options such as modified date and time, members, type extension and size.
Same as option 6.
Change view mode, the figure currently displays List mode. The other option is grid which is organized in larger squares.
Upload Files.
Create a shared folder where the contents are shared with designated users.
Create a new folder, that can be used to organize the uploaded files.
Displays deleted files in the file manager.
Brings up the menu displayed in figure 4.
Figure 4
Share the file by name or email and select file permissions.
Download the selected file.
Add comments to shared files.
Favorite the file so that it shows on the home page.
View/modify/restore previous versions of a file.
Rename the file.
Move the file within Dropbox, by putting it in a different folder.
Create a copy of the file, useful if you want to keep an original copy and have a shared version.
Delete the file, does not permanently delete file. It can still be restored from the deleted files manager (figure 3, option 4).
Dropbox is a simple idea, that is robustly powerful. Most email providers limit the size of attachments, which can make it impossible to send large media files via email. Dropbox can be used in the following ways:
Recording and sharing lectures.
Creating collaborative assignments.
Sharing feedback with students on shared assignments.
Backup assignments so it can’t be forgotten.
Synchronize work across multiple devices.
Print files from anywhere.
Preventing important data from being lost in case of hardware failure.
Scan documents with your smart phone.
It can be a powerful tool to support group work. Creating collaborative documents allows many people to quickly generate ideas where ever they are at. With online classes becoming more commonplace it is often impossible to meet in person to organize group work. Dropbox’s collaborative feature “Paper” includes many tools to facilitate group work. It comes with many free to use default documents that allow everyone to get involved in the assignment.
Dropbox Paper includes a free default document called Project overview. It is a generic short document that is easily updatable. It allows a group to collaborate on key aspects of the project that is being worked on. It creates a document that everyone in the group can refer to for important information such as key dates, deadlines, goals, and status of the project. Important videos and documents can be added to the research section. That way multiple documents can be easily organized with all the pertinent information in one place. This tool can also be used to:
Save money by not needing to have a printer at home, students can save documents and print on campus.
Recover a paper they accidently deleted.
Look at previous versions of a paper to see what has changed.
Save important memories like pictures and videos.
Dropbox has undergone many user interface changes through the years, this makes many of the online tutorials out of date. An up to date video tutorial can be found here: http://bit.ly/2DCDi9b
Dropbox has an extensive knowledge base that you can use to search for solutions, and if you are unable to find the answer to your question you can ask the community where users of community come together to answer questions. They are rewarded by helping out by being rewarded with Kudos points which let them compete to see who can end up at the top of the leaderboard. http://bit.ly/1gFCHjq
Name of Tool
Website URL
Cost
Download or Web-based
1 sentence description of the tool
Dropbox
2GB Free
Both
It is a file hosting service, which offers cloud storage for personal and professional use.
