Digital Classrooms - comparing Google with Edmodo
The application of online e-learning sites and apps have never been so current than nowadays, due to the epidemic. More and more classes and schools are switching to online education every day. Apart from this situation, in our digital world, using digital tools and learning platforms must be essential part of the everyday life of the schools. In this blog entry I would like to show and compare two learning platforms, Edmodo and Google Classroom. I have used both platforms as a student so far, thus I can evaluate these sites more accurately from this perspective.
I have already had lots of experience with Google Classroom and a little less with Edmodo. Our teachers at the university have been using them from last semester. In my opinion, there are not too much differences between these platforms functionally. Both are designed for supplement and ease classroom lessons helping organizing tasks and course contents so make the teaching/learning process more effective. The main features of these e-learning sites that they offer free services, they are simple to use, both have got its smartphone application. Both platforms allow us to track the assignments, to communicate with teachers/students/parents, to upload materials of several format e. g.: images, Word documents, PDF files, PowerPoint presentations, audio and video files. The joining process is also the same in both platform: teachers can create a class then send a code to the students.
Overall, the two learning platforms have the same functions, they provide similar services thus I would like to emphasize some slight differences.
However, using these sites are basically free, if you want to use Google Classroom, your school has to sign up for the Google for Education package. Another disadvantage of Google Classroom that you cannot register with any e-mail address so you have to make a Google account first. (But today everybody has a Google account...). As for Edmodo you can use your personal e-mail address from any e-mail service company. What I most like in Edmodo is the test creating function, it is far better than of the Google Classroom which with you can create quiz only with Google Form. With Edmodo, teachers can create time limited tests containing various activities. The design of Edmodo, and the construction of the website is similar to Facebook, this makes it popular among the younger students. The Google Classroom is plainer and more simple.
Despite of these differences, my personal experience is that Google Classroom is better for organizing tasks, this site is clearer and more intelligible for me. Maybe I am simply used to it, that is why I sympathize with Google Classroom.
In my opinion, these differences are not so huge that can tip the balance in favour of any platform. You will be able to decide which one is more convenient for you when you put them practice.