Item: Google Classroom
Rating: 10
Author: Gabrielle Wayman

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We worked with the staff and teachers to implement Google Classroom at the start of the 2020-21 school year as a solution to the new remote learning environment. Students and parents needed an organized, engaging digital environment that behaved predictably and is easy to navigate.

Pros and Cons

Organizing discussion threads
Easily accessible tabs for learning material categories
Customizable “fun” interface

We would like to see more time-related progress tracking
Young students still need an adult to read tabs to them—an option for a fully visual interface would be nice

Most Important Features

Integrations with other software tools
Assignment submission
Teacher ability to track student usage

Return on Investment

Students are able to continue learning in a remote environment
Parents have a single, consistent organization structure to make it easy to track assignments and progress for multiple children
Much better solution than the quickly assembled Zoom-and-gloom of the previous spring when school abruptly went remote with no planning

Alternatives Considered

Blackboard Collaborate and LMS365 (formerly Sharepoint LMS)

As mentioned previously, the low barrier to entry was the final decision. Intuitive user interface is friendly for children.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Classroom delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Classroom's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Classroom live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Google Classroom go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Classroom again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Zoom, Lumin PDF, McAfee Embedded Control

Likelihood to Recommend

Google Classroom is a great solution for remote learning when school budgets don’t allow for more robust platform purchases, such as Blackboard. It’s free! It’s customizable, but you’ll need to get a small group of users/teachers trained up on all the nuances so they can be your Champion group and help the other teachers. Love the ability to set slides as landing pages for a fun classroom picture. Kids enjoy the autonomy they have but struggle with remembering to complete all assignments if they don’t have more direct supervision. Lots of integration with other tools like Kira to allow for writing exercises and assignment submission. It’s a great stop-gap for schools not intending to remain in a remote setting, a permanent solution for organizations with low budgets that are fully remote, but not my first choice if you have a software budget and are operating fully remote at all times.

Go with Google Classroom!

Overall Satisfaction with Google Classroom