Google Classroom or Canvas?

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Google Classroom – a cloud-based system developed by Google has been in use since August, 2014. Google itself doesn’t classify Classroom as an LMS, though some have claimed in forums that it is, while others claim it is a CMS (Google, 2023).

Google allows for different classrooms to be created. Many teachers can be part of a classroom, and the student limit is 1,000 with a school account, but only 250 if you’re using a personal email (Google, n.d.). Many teachers can work together under the same classroom. Let’s say you have an LA classroom but you have two teachers: one to focus on reading and vocabulary, while the other is to focus on grammar and writing. Both teachers can create sub sections in this classroom, and both teachers can assign assignments, grade assignments, and view what both are doing in the lesson. It’s a great platform for co-teaching. However, in the grades roster, all assignments are put together in the grade book, with no distinction of the sections created.

Since 2016 Google classroom allows for the invitation of guardians to join in (Foltos, 2016). Nevertheless, guardians cannot participate in the classroom, see the interaction, nor the people in it. Instead, Google sends the guardians that have joined a summary of the progress of their child (Google, n.d.).

Other features of Google Classroom that educators might be interested is what kind of assignments can be created. You can assign quizzes or assignments that allow the student to choose to submit a file, a video, a link, a site, or any other product that is inside the Google Suite. Additionally, Google Classroom works along with EdPuzzle and Quizziz, though many other platforms now offer integrations with Google to post inside a classroom for you. Savvas Realize is one of those platforms that posts assignments in your Google Classroom for you. So, if the provider you’re using has a way to integrate to Google, you more than likely have a way to integrate it into your Google Classroom!

Google Classroom has some downsides however, and like I mentioned before, each teacher doesn’t get their own grade book. Furthermore, parents can’t communicate through this medium like other LMSs offer. Students logging activity isn’t recorded, and although Google has posted new features coming with classroom Analysis (Google, 2024) among other features, they haven’t been released for teachers to use. However, if these things don’t bother you, then Google Classroom is a FREE option for you.

Canvas

Canvas is a Free Open-Source software that was created to function as an LMS with all the components of an LMS. This LMS started in 2008 by Instructure and dedicates software to both k-12 and higher education (Canvas, n.d.).

Canvas allows for many teachers to collaborate. The administration can see the different levels on the system and each level has its purpose. The first level is for administrating and getting statistics, and usually one with more skills into setting up the system and navigating a recently installed version is preferred to manage this part. Then comes the content making and sharing. This is where teachers can come in and create classrooms and coursework. The teacher can share with other teachers. Naturally, collaborations can happen if the teacher invited you to their homeroom class. After this, it’s a matter of the teacher collaborators, the students, and the parents to come into the picture. Canvas allows the users to create courses, assignments, quizzes, groups, organize modules, and even connect deadlines with your Calendar. In addition, Canvas can allow you to use your Google Documents and other Google Suit tools inside of it. Their site, canvaslms, has information on how to do everything, from the teacher’s side, to the parent’s side.

Canvas has the option to add parents in. Guardians can see the assignments of the student, resources, announcements, grades and feedback, and even the deadlines of the assignments (Canvas, n.d.).

Quizzes and Assessments can be made within Canvas, but you can also connect Google Suit to use Google Docs, Forms, etc. In addition, Canvas allows for the usage of other LTI’s like EdPuzzle and even Flipgrid.

So Canvas is like this bigger umbrella that encompasses many tools, with a wide variety in editing and integrating of other tools. So, this may sound exciting for you. Furthermore, it’s free! Nevertheless, the challenge can be the tediousness of setting up the underlying framework, and having knowledgeable admins to create an architecture that you need. Lastly, because the downloaded version is open-source, the security scale is only about 73%(Common Sense Media, n.d.).