Not all questions can be solved by Google (but many can)
In contemporary education there is a need to consistently question the place of a school and a classroom when there are computers in our pockets. The rise of Google in the 21st century is well documented. This blog will not aim to unpack the ethics of data, as the new global commodity, but rather seek to reflect on one part of the Alphabet Inc empire – Google Classrooms.
As a platform, Google Classrooms has grown to be a worldwide phenomenon. Many studies have confirmed that students enjoy using the platform and find it benefits the growth in independent learning1. The benefits include the integration of all other Google tools (YouTube, docs, files from Google drive) that seamlessly integrate into a cloud-based learning platform. Google Classrooms has been designed to be a time saving and easy to use device for education2.
With consistent connectivity there is the benefit of student work saving every five seconds to a cloud-based storage system. Educators that use Google Classrooms effectively also allow disengaged students that are not attending school to access assignments and resources. There is the ability to give real time feedback to students, whether they are physically in your classroom or not. Timely feedback has been consistently proven as a necessary strategy to engage students in learning3,4.
A big barrier to the use of Google Classrooms is an inconsistent approach from educators. When students are given mixed messages about how to draft or submit work it creates confusion. When there is a whole-school approach it allows the ability to create a shared discourse between staff and students. It also opens the door up to a variety of flexible pedagogical approaches5.
In the context of a pandemic world, blended learning and flipped classrooms have once more become topics of robust conversation in learning communities.
The debate for the most holistic pedagogy will continue for the rest of time. As schools and learning institutions we have an obligation to consistently reflect and challenge best practice. To learn from each other and to consider the learning needs of our students over our own discomfort of learning something new.
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References
1Al-Maroof, R. A. S., & Al-Emran, M. (2018). Students Acceptance of Google Classroom: An Exploratory Study using PLS-SEM Approach. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 13(6).
2Iftakhar, S. (2016). Google classroom: what works and how. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 3(1), 12-18.
3Wiggins, G. (2012). Seven keys to effective feedback. Feedback, 70(1), 10-16.
4Barboza, E. J. S., & da Silva, M. T. (2016, September). The importance of timely feedback to interactivity in Online Education. In IFIP International Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems (pp. 307-314). Springer, Cham.
5Shaharanee, I. N. M., Jamil, J. M., & Rodzi, S. S. M. (2016). The application of Google Classroom as a tool for teaching and learning. Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering (JTEC), 8(10), 5-8.
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