To classify Google Classroom as an LMS stretches the
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improved in the last few years. The app doesn’t have
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(LTI) standards, meaning you can connect Classroom to
another LMS as an add-on program. Still, we think
Google Classroom works best as a complement to an
in-person class.
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Education that learners and educators can use even
without having a Google Classroom. They can share and
annotate Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides; present work
using Slides; and meet remotely using Google
Hangouts. A growing number of students, particularly
K-12, use Chromebooks, and some rely on Android
tablets and smartphones. If you’re already invested in
the Google ecosystem, then Classroom makes it easy to
tack on a few more facets of online education and give it
more structure.
Google
Classroom
PROS Makes it easy
to share materials
and announcements.
Simplifies the
collection and
evaluation of student
work. Integrates some
of Google’s most
popular productivity
tools. Free to use.
CONS Lacks some
features associated
with a traditional
learning management
system. Needs to
more fully embrace
Google Hangouts.
BOTTOM LINE Think
of Google Classroom
as an added feature
for a class rather than
a full-service
educational
environment. It’s a
good interface for
schools using G Suite
for Education and a
great resource for
other instructors who
want to use it ad hoc.