Google Classroom: Best Free and Easy-to-Use LMS!
January 23, 2019
Google Classroom: Best Free and Easy-to-Use LMS!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Google Classroom
Google Classroom has been my learning management system for all the classes I teach (Digital Design, Web Design, AP Computer Science Principles, and even my dual enrollment Foundations of Web Development) for three years. It is not used by the entire high school where I teach, but I know some other teachers at the school who choose to use it.
- Google Classroom is easy for both the students and teacher to learn to use
- Google Classroom has the ability to store previous classes in the archives, so I can reuse content
- I can easily link worksheets from Google Docs and tests from Google Forms into assignment posts
- Google Classroom sends my students emails whenever I post a new assignment for grade an existing one
- I would like there to be a more complex gradebook, that lets students see their total grade in the class and allows me to create weighted categories (there was a Beta gradebook released recently, which I have not explored yet. Perhaps this is included there)
- I used to use Canvas for my learning management system, which was difficult for me and the students to use. Having a learning management system that most students can pick up easily gives me more time that I would otherwise be using to teach students how to use an online course interface.
- The ability for my students to see the same interface on their smartphones is also great responsive design. If their computers in the lab are not working for some reason, they can still access Google Classroom from their mobile devices and see assignments/quizzes that way.
- Canvas
Canvas has a MUCH steeper learning curve than Google Classroom does. Although it has the capacity to maintain a more detailed gradebook, the tradeoff for having an easier-to-use learning management system is worth it. Google Classroom doesn't require much instruction to learn how to use, and it can also be set up quite easily. I can post assignments to multiple classes at once, which is useful since I teach multiple class periods of the same course.