Getting the most from google classroom: A pedagogical framework for tertiary educators

Many tertiary institutions have embraced digital learning through the use of online learning platforms and social networks. However, the research about the efficacy of such platforms is confused, as is the field itself, in part because of the rapidly evolving technology, and also because of a lack of clarity about what constitutes a learning platform. In this study, two early career academics and instructors examined the effectiveness of using Google Classroom for final year primary teacher education students to encourage student voice and agency, and to consider how the platform might influence future pedagogies at the tertiary level. The data showed that Google Classroom increased student participation and learning and improved classroom dynamics. It also revealed concerns around pace and user experience. This data was used to construct a framework to evaluate of the use of online platforms; it identifies four concepts (pace, ease of access, collaboration and student voice/agency) that explore the usefulness of other online learning platforms, as well as pedagogical practice.

[1]  Erica Rosenfeld Halverson,et al.  Do social networking technologies have a place in formal learning environments , 2011 .

[2]  Glen Stafford.  The unexpected transformations of Chinese international students in Australia. , 2011 .

[3]  Aaron M. Fewkes,et al.  Facebook , 2012 .

[4]  George Siemens,et al.  Higher Education and the Promises and Perils of Social Networks , 2015, RUSC, Universities and Knowledge Society Journal.

[5]  George Siemens,et al.  Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning , 2009 .

[6]  T. Takaro,et al.  A novel integration of online and flipped classroom instructional models in public health higher education , 2014, BMC medical education.

[7]  Nada Dabbagh,et al.  Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning , 2012, Internet High. Educ..

[8]  Heather Hughes.  Introduction to Flipping the College Classroom , 2012 .

[9]  Mike Eaton.  The flipped classroom , 2017, The clinical teacher.

[10]  G. Edward Crane,et al.  Leveraging Digital Communications Technology in Higher Education: Exploring URI's Adoption of Google Apps for Education 2015 , 2016 .

[11]  Michelle Everson,et al.  Social media and the introductory statistics course , 2013, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[12]  L. Abeysekera,et al.  Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: definition, rationale and a call for research , 2015 .

[13]  Charles R. Graham,et al.  Blended Learning Research in Higher Education and K-12 Settings , 2017 .

[14]  N. Selwyn.  Web 2.0 applications as alternative environments for informal learning: a critical review , 2007 .

[15]  J. Brown,et al.  Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0 , 2008 .

[16]  Kevin Oliver.  Recommendations for student tools in online course management systems , 2001, J. Comput. High. Educ..

[17]  Stephen K. Koernig,et al.  Web 2.0 and Marketing Education: Explanations and Experiential Applications , 2011 .

[18]  Baiyun Chen,et al.  Exploring students’ mobile learning practices in higher education , 2013 .

[19]  Per Ödling,et al.  Using MOOCs at Learning Centers in Northern Sweden , 2015 .

[20]  Z. Zainuddin,et al.  Flipped Classroom Research and Trends from Different Fields of Study , 2016 .

[21]  Christine Greenhow.  Online social networks and learning , 2011 .

[22]  T. Li,et al.  Teaching Experiential Learning: Adoption of an Innovative Course in an MBA Marketing Curriculum , 2007 .

[23]  Christine Redman,et al.  From Philosophy and Research to Pedagogy and Practice , 2014 .

[24]  M. Manen.  Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy , 1990 .

[25]  Norbert J. Pienta,et al.  A “Flipped Classroom” Reality Check , 2016 .

[26]  Steven A. Taylor,et al.  Student Engagement and Marketing Classes , 2011 .

[27]  Jon Dron,et al.  Control and Constraint in E-learning: Choosing When to Choose , 2007 .

[28]  Willie Miller,et al.  iLearning: The Future of Higher Education? Student Perceptions on Learning with Mobile Tablets , 2012 .

[29]  Stefania Manca,et al.  Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment , 2013, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[30]  T. Bosch.  Using online social networking for teaching and learning: Facebook use at the University of Cape Town , 2009 .

[31]  R. Kane,et al.  Finding A Way Through The Swamp: A Case For Self-Study As Research* , 2004 .

[32]  John Morgan,et al.  Will MOOCs transform learning and teaching in higher education? Engagement and course retention in online learning provision , 2015, Br. J. Educ. Technol..