Exploring Benefits and Challenges of Adopting Google Classroom in the Perspective of Higher Institution’s Learners

Authors

  • Maheran Zakaria
  • Hasnun Anip Bustaman
  • Khamisah Abd Manaf
  • Rahayu Abdul Rahman

Abstract

Google classroom is one of the educational web-based platforms that offersopportunities for learners to make meaningful connections with the real world.  This platformhas rapidly defused into the educational system and becomes prevalent in higher institutions across nations. Apart from its impressive educational and digital features, it is offered for freeand therefore fitsany higher institutions, specifically those with limited resources to set up their own Learning Management System. Despite enticedwith excitement, bountiful predicaments might be encountered by learners in adopting the platform.  Intrigued with these issues, the objective of this study is to explore benefits and challenges in the adoption of Google classroom from the learners’ perspective. In pursuit of this, a phenomenography study was employed, involving103undergraduate learners from a Malaysian public higher institution. Data were gathered from web-based open-ended survey and analysed qualitativelyby NVivo 14.The results derived from emergent themes indicatethatGoogle classroom offered learners 4 benefits namely paperless communication, ease of access, interactions within web-based community andsystematic class management. Meanwhile, sub-themes emerged under the challenges were difficult to comprehend, late educator’s feedback, unreliable connections, no in-person connectionsand lack of support. This discovery provides useful insights thatapart from technology, management support andknowledgeable educators are also essential in establishingan optimaldigital learningcommunity within a course.  Additionally, this web-based platform empowers learners to be prepared with the outside world and succeed in the web-based environment.

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Published

2020-04-11

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Section

Articles