Google Classroom Instruction Design for Students

Instructional Goal

The goal of these instructions is to provide a student with a basic understanding of Google Classroom to ensure that their access to the course materials will not be impaired.

Analysis

Due to COVID-19 and the need to avoid physical interactions, e-learning has become the primary mode of teaching for many institutions, starting from primary education facilities. My target population for this instruction is the students from an elementary school of age 8-9. The topic being studied is basic computer science, and the instruction must be presented at the beginning of the course. To succeed at this task, a student must possess basic computer skills, have a Google account, and know how to use Word to edit a text document. While there is a hierarchy of entry skills for this task, they are supposed to be completed in the previous lessons. It is possible that some learners would be familiar with the product. However, it is most likely that they were not interacting with it directly.

The educational level of a group is expected to be homogenous, although some children are more tech-savvy than others. The primary characteristics of this group of learners are a preference for predictability, learning through playing and storytelling, the search for a sense of belonging, and the need for expression and contact with peers (EL Education, n.d.). This skill is intended to be learned in a computer lab, with the possibility to complete this instruction online at home. However, the performance context is online studying from home only.

Performance Objectives

The student will be able to log in to his or her Google account and join a classroom by:

1. opening classroom.google.com in a browser
2. clicking the sign-in button and using their e-mail and password
3. clicking a plus button in the top right corner
4. putting a class code received from the teacher

The student will learn how to check their classes, schedule, and homework by:

1. selecting a class by pressing on its title
2. reading the announcements from the teacher for that class from the main feed
3. clicking on any unfinished task in the “Upcoming” section on the left sidebar
4. clicking on the Classroom Calendar button on the left sidebar

The student will be able to access and download the past and current materials shared by a teacher by:

1. clicking on the Class Drive folder on the left sidebar
2. selecting a file from the list
3. opening it in a browser if possible or downloading the material on their PC

The student will know how to send the completed homework back to his or her teacher by:

1. choosing an assignment, they would like to turn in from the list on the left sidebar
3. clicking the “add or create” button in the “Your Work” field
4. uploading the file with the completed work by choosing it in the appeared window
5. confirming the selection by pressing the green “Turn In” button

Assessment

To assess the completion of this instruction, I will use a simple test included in the Class Drive folder that students will need to download, fill, and turn in using the Google Classroom assignment page. Since the intended students learn better through play, a test can contain a short crossword or a rebus in the document downloaded by students as a way to entertain them.

Instructional Strategy

To present this information, I will guide students through the instructions in class or via an online video room. It is essential to ensure that they are able to explore all the steps of the process and find the materials necessary to complete the test. To demonstrate their competency, students will be asked to download, fill, and send me back the document located in the homework section of Google Classroom. If a student has any difficulties with any part of the task, it is possible to provide visual support to them via video chat or a teacher’s computer in a classroom.

The Draft of the Instruction

1. Open your favorite Internet browser and go to classroom.google.com.
2. Log into your Google account by clicking “Sign in.”
3. Click on a plus button in the top right corner. There is a pointer towards it.
4. Click “Join Class” and use the code “CODE” to join us!
5. Select “Computer Science” from the list of your classes.
6. Click on “Classroom Calendar” to see what we are up to.
7. Press “Class Drive folder” to check what files I have prepared for you.
8. Select “file.docx” and download it by pressing the box with an arrow button in the top right corner.
9. Open it on your computer, answer a few simple questions inside, and save it.
10. In the “Upcoming” section, you can always see if there is any homework.
11. Select the first assignment in this list and click on the “+Add or create” button on the right side.
12. Drop the file you have saved in the appeared window.
13. Confirm its accuracy and press the green “Turn in” button.

Evaluation

I believe that field trial evaluation would suffice for this instruction, as this type of evaluation presents an opportunity to test it in a real-world situation. It is accessible administratively and offers a ready group of learners (Dick et al., 2015). The materials require little preparation and provide an opportunity to engage students in a task that puts students in a digital environment with which modern children feel confident.

References

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2015). The systematic design of instruction (8th ed.). Pearson College Division.

EL Education. (n.d.). Characteristics of primary learners. Web.