This is an architecture class, so we are using blender to model and animate architecture. We use the dxf import function to import polylines from another cad program (i.e. Archicad, Autodesk) the class meeting time is once a week for lecture, they work on their assignments/weekly exercises at home.
But to answer your question. No, I am not paid to watch students complete work, I am paid to devise a course curriculum and to teach students how to follow said curriculum. It is close to impossible to watch every student complete their work and the man hours that that method would require is inefficient and pointless.
External devices are an efficient way to transport data, not to mention a requirement.
Students need to learn the basic ways of modeling first, so that they can grasp the inner workings of blender, importing premade models to save time is a method taught later in the curriculum. There needs to be an efficient way to ensure/check this so that the students actually learn how to use a tool to further them instead of relying on external/premade work which is limited.