The Google Classroom for Learning from Home Environment

From the beginning of 2020, the world has been shocked by the unexpected disease carried out by a novel corona virus named COVID-19. This virus has forced the world to conduct emergency actions in all aspects of human lives to prevent the outbreak. In Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta where the rate of positive infected cases is the highest, all institutions of offices and schools are closed for the face-to-face learning activities. Teachers and lecturers are persuaded to administer virtual classrooms due to affordable technology devices, mostly through the smartphones. One of the most favourite and simply accessed applications in learning from home is Google Classroom application. 

The Google Classroom performs a unique appearance and atmosphere that provides a central site for communicating with students, providing assignments and sending feedback. According to Ketut Sudarsana, Bagus Made Anggara Putra, Nyoman Temon Astawa, and Wayan Lali Yogantara (2019), this application is part of the online Google Apps for Education (GAFE) that suits for teachers and students in an online learning. Moreover, the Google Classroom is said to be a simply manageable application in a learning process, particularly in terms of task management, for both students and lecturers. It is also proven by Rahmad, Adria Wirda, Berutu, Lumbantoruan, and Sintong (2019) that Google Classroom is effective in promoting students’ learning independence and students’ critical thinking.

In more specific, the Google Classroom was also implemented in EFL learning. An evaluation by Bhat, Raju, Bikramjit, and D’souza (2018) was conducted to find out the effectiveness of the Google Classroom in submission process of the students’ assignment; and it revealed that the use of Google Classroom is simplifying marks and assessment on the students’ submitted assignment. Another study in Heggart and Yoo (2018) unveiled that the Google Classroom augmented student participation and learning and boosted classroom dynamics due to the students’ experience. Both studies by Bhat et al. (2018) and Heggart & Yoo (2018) admitted the Google Classroom as an effective online application in the process of language learning.

In respect to the advanced technology and communication, learning from home environment is a possible option during the pandemic. By utilising the Google Classroom as one of the free online applications, learning from home environment in all levels of education becomes much easier for both teachers and learners. The Google Classroom application has been appreciated for its simple and clear features, documenting materials and discussion, and also the assignment reminder. In this way, the Google Classroom has become the most favourite application during the pandemic.    

course.

CONCLUSION

In respect to the advanced technology and communicat

ion, learning from home

environments is a possible option in dealing with an unexpected situation during this

pandemic period. By utilizing Google Classroom as one of the free online applications,

learning from home environments in all levels of education

becomes much easier for both

teachers and learners