Google has reportedly announced a slew of changes coming to Google Classroom for Android, including an offline mode, in response to changing use cases and rampant growth. Specifically, Google says that Classroom use has risen from 40-million users to over 150-million over the last year. Those figures represent a change of around 275-percent.
There are two sides to Google Classroom for Android changes here
Google effectively summarizes the changes under a single new feature. Namely, the update will allow students to work offline. That includes reviewing assignments, opening Drive attachments, and writing assignments in Google docs. Students will essentially be able to download all of their Classroom materials in bulk and then work regardless of connectivity. Then, they can submit assignments later, when their connection returns.
Propping up that change, Google is ensuring a better workflow for attaching and submitting images too. With that change coming as more students upload assignment work as photos. Google is adding the ability to crop and rotate images, as well as lighting adjustments, and photo combining options. The latter change will enable students to put multiple photos into a single document for submission.
For educators and instructors, Google is making assignments and work reviews easier. For instance, it’s adding the ability to switch easily between a student’s submission and grades is being added. That’ll be possible while viewing assignments via mobile. And rich text formatting is inbound across all Classroom platforms too, as Google continues to push its education app forward.
Finally, teachers will be able to see how students interact with Classroom on Android, including stats about assignment submissions or post comments.
When will these features arrive?
Now, Google indicates that the changes here are meant to push Classroom for Android away from its position as a “learning hub.”
Instead, the company is refocusing Classroom as a learning management system. The end-goal here is different from the initial intent of the service but falls in line with what teachers and students have come to expect. Specifically, as schools have begun treating Google Classroom — on Android or otherwise — “as their learning management system.”
So there are a few other EdTech tools and add-ons being added too with these updates. That’s alongside Student Information System roster syncing and class setup, all set to be added. Grade Export with Aspen SIS is part of the expected additions too. And, finally, the tools now support 15 languages in total. Including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Finnish, German, Korean, Danish, Malaysian, and Hindi.
As for a timeline, Google has kept that vague. The new features will be added at some point “later this year.”
