Google Classroom as a Teaching and Learning Tool: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

In the fourth Industrial Revolution, ICT has witnessed the global burgeoning of a myriad approaches in teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom. The everchanging digital age has witnessed a number of key players in the field of educational technology. Among them is the G Suite for Education, which offers a variety of tools to empower students and educators as they learn and innovate. One such tool is Google Classroom which recently got the nod from the Malaysian Ministry of Education as a teaching and learning tool in public schools. Amidst the excitement surrounding online learning tools, there are a number of teething problems that need addressing. The paper examines the issues and challenges encountered using Google Classroom as a teaching and learning tool among pre-service teachers in a private university in the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area, Malaysia. Data were collected from 61 respondents via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that limited Wi-Fi connectivity, lack of training, class size and class learning time are some of the perceived concerns in employing Google Classroom in the teaching and learning process. The study recommends upgrading the current structure of Google Classroom to include chat features and mobile application development.