GoogleApps - How to Use Google Classroom

Navigation

Select a link below to jump to that section:

• Overview
• Joining a class as a student
  • Join class with a code
  • Respond to an invite
• Class list Option 1: Invite students to a class
• Class list Option 2: Manually add class list
  • Create a CSV class list for import
  • Upload your classlist to Google Contacts as a Contact Group
  • Invite Students from a Google Contact Group
• Exercise caution when depending on Google Classroom for communication
• Additional Documentation

Overview

Google Classroom is now available through MSU Google Apps for Education. Google Classroom helps instructors create and organize assignments, provide feedback, collaborate, and communicate with their classes.

Google Classroom isn’t a fully robust learning management system (LMS) like Desire2Learn, but it may be useful for blended or technology-enhanced courses needing a space for class communication or supplemental instruction.

Google Classroom can also help with document management for classes and is more streamlined than what was previously available with Google Drive alone.

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Joining a class as a student

Your instructor either gave you a code to join a class or emailed you a link to add a class.

Join class with a code

1. Sign in to Google Classroom at googleapps.msu.edu.
2. If you have never used Google Classroom before, click the button to indicate you are a Student.
3. On the Home page, click the + icon.
4. Enter the code in the box and click JOIN.

Respond to an invite

1. Click on the link your instructor sent you to enroll in a course.
2. If you have never used Google Classroom before, click the button to indicate you are a Student.
3. Click the Join button for the class you want to join.

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Class list Option 1: Invite students to a class

Option 1: Distribute a class code to students for joining your course.

1. Sign in to Classroom at googleapps.msu.edu (link).
2. Go to the class page. The default page will be the STREAM page. The class code is on the left of the stream.
3. Share the class code with students through D2L, the RO Instructor System (link), or any other means of distributing messages to students.
4. Give the students these instructions:
   1. Sign in to Google Classroom at googleapps.msu.edu (link).
   2. If you have never used Google Classroom before, click the button to indicate you are a Student.
   3. On the Home page, click the + icon.
   4. Enter the code in the box and click JOIN.

Instructors have the option to reset the code or disable it by clicking the code itself to access the drop-down menu.

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Class list Option 2: Manually add class list

Option 2: Manually import a classlist and invite your students to the class. This takes more effort, but guarantees only students in your class will be able to access your class. You can also view which students have or have not accepted your invite.

Create a CSV class list for import

1. Export a class/section list from the Instructor system (link).
2. Edit this list using the format needed by Google. See Google's documentation about creating or editing CSV files (link).
3. Save the list as a CSV file.

Upload your classlist to Google Contacts as a Contact Group

1. Sign in to Google Contacts at googleapps.msu.edu (link).
2. Click the More button to bring up a drop-down menu.
3. Select Import.
4. Click Choose File to choose the appropriate CSV file.
5. Google creates a contact group called "Imported [month]/[day]/[year]." You can optionally rename this group:
   1. Click on the group listed under "My Contacts" in the left-hand menu.
   2. Click More and select rename group.

Invite Students from a Google Contact Group

1. Sign in to Classroom at googleapps.msu.edu (link).
2. Create or select the course to add students to.
3. Click the STUDENTS menu item.
4. Click INVITE to bring up Google Contacts (link).
5. Click My contacts to bring up a drop-down menu. Select the contact group you created for your classlist.
6. Check the box in front of Select all.
7. Click Invite Students.
8. The list of students in the class is updated to show the students invited in grey.
9. Students must click on the link emailed to them to accept the invitation. Students who have not yet used Google Classroom previously must first indicate they are a students, and then click the JOIN button to accept the invite.
10. Once the invitations are accepted, the students names will no longer appear in grey.

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Exercise caution when depending on Google Classroom for communication

Gmail is not enabled for Google Apps for Education at MSU. The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page for Google Classroom (link) says:

Do I need Gmail to use Classroom?

You do not need to have Gmail enabled for your Google Apps for Education account to use Classroom; however, if you don't have Gmail enabled, you will not receive email notifications.

Notifications seem to be working and turned on by default. If you click on the Classroom Settings menu and then choose Settings, you can enable or disable classroom notifications. Testing by MSU Service Providers suggest that notifications are sent regarding graded assignments and discussion posts, but direct messages through the Email screen in a Google Classroom Class does not work and depends on Gmail. Google may change this functionality at a later date to match the information provided in the FAQ.

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Additional Documentation

Visit Google's documentation on Google Classroom (link).

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