Google Classroom is Now for All G Suite Users

Google Classroom is a web-based service developed by Google that is aimed at simplifying the process of learning, creating assignments and grading them in a paperless way. It was developed for schools to ease the process of sharing the files between teachers and students.

Google Classroom consists of Google Drive for the creation and distribution of assignments through Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides. It also includes Gmail for the communication purpose as well as Google Calendar for scheduling events. All the features portray it as a Google Suite which is commonly used by the Organisations as their Business solution. The only thought that separates it from G Suite is that it focuses on the process of learning rather than on the productivity of the business.

But on second thoughts, it is also true that to be productive you need to have the skills and for that, we need to learn new techniques. Google Classroom can be used by the organizations to manage a group of new joiners in an instructor-led way. With this noble thought, Google has announced to expand the walls of Google Classroom as an additional service for G Suite Basic, Business and Enterprise customers. It remains as a core service in G Suite for Education and non - profit organization.

Features :

1. Assignments - The assignments are created, stored and graded by the help of G Suite productivity and collaborative tools i.e Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides. Instead of sharing the document of a student with the teacher directly the file is hosted on the student’s drive and then is submitted for grading. A template can be also chosen by a teacher to give the students a rough idea about the assignment.

2. Grading - During the assignment, a teacher has the right to monitor the progress of every student and add suggestions by adding comments. After the assignment is submitted, the teacher can review it and add suggestions and turn the assignment back in. Until the assignment is turned back in, it can not be edited by the student.

3. Communication - The class stream acts as a two - way communication platform where the teachers and students can both post announcements and make comments. Drive files and Youtube video links can be also attached to the posts.

4. Archiving -  After the end of the session, a course can be archived by the teacher and goes to the archived classes in order to keep a track of the courses. After a course is archived it can be only viewed by the teacher and the student until and unless it is restored.

5. Accessibility - Apart from the web, the Classroom can be also accessed from the Android and ios devices. The Mobile app helps to take photos, attach them to assignments and supports offline access which can help the students in a better way.