Use of Google Classroom for enhancing access to library resources and services: a case study of SFIT Library, Mumbai

COVID 19 pandemic and the ensuing pandemic presented the libraries with ample opportunities to re-learn and share. With a plethora of complimentary e resources available, many libraries were working out innumerable ways to reach to their users, albeit differently. Online libraries have been around for more than a decade now but the mode of accessing them was just the Institutes’ portal, blog and many other social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for real time updates. A new and lesser known option of Google Classroom may be considered now if your parent Institute has G-Suite for Education. This paper reveals the best ways in which a library can use Google Classroom much more efficiently.

Google Classroom for Libraries

A Google Classroom can be initiated by first creating a list of topics for which resources or updates would be created. SFIT LIRC has created the following topics so as to get a curated list of all the posts over a period of time.

Trend Reports: Includes Company Financials, Current and Prospective Projects

Worth Reading: A Select list of general newspaper clippings online pertaining to updates from AICTE, UGC and University of Mumbai

Good Reads: A thought provoking list and infographics on trending technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It also features interviews of CEOs.

Virtual Labs (VLabs): A cumulative list of virtual experiments for nine branches of engineering.

Open Educational Resources: A list of forty-one OER shared by AICTE.

e-Journals and e-Magazines: Links to subscribed as well Open Access journals and magazines pertaining to Engineering and Allied Areas.

By tagging each post to a topic, we get a curated list of all our shared posts. This comes as a handy list and we get to know whether we are covering all the topics intended to be shared. Besides, the posts can be scheduled for a later period of time to avoid cluttering of inboxes.

A snapshot of one of the posts is given below for your reference:






There are four tabs in the Google Classroom such as

Stream – It displays the posts with date and time. It also identifies the person who has shared the post. Here, you may either give posting rights to all the library staff or retain it to the library e-mail id only. The list of posts is in reverse chronological order with the latest post on top. We (as Library) post announcements to the class page in this “stream” view.


Classwork: The place where we create Topics and post material. It also displays the Google Calendar and the folder where all our material which is shared is stored. Remember that this folder is automatically created in our Google Drive - both for admins (in our case, we the Library) and the users.

People: People are the users (in our case) to whom we have to send an invite using their e-mail id. They are then required to accept the invite so they would receive notifications in their inbox everytime something is posted in the Classroom.

People can be added in two categories – one as ‘Teacher’ who will have posting and editing rights and the other as ‘Student’ who have only viewing and commenting rights. People can be added and removed as required. But only 250 people can be allowed in one Google Classroom.

When we add a new class to our Classroom site, a new folder is immediately created in our Google Drive. If one wishes to segregate posts for respective departments that too can be done by creating a Classroom for every department.

All material which is posted is also archived and can be re-used whenever required.

Grades: This feature can be put to use where libraries are posting assignments to be completed by students. We at SFIT LIRC, have not yet explored this possibility.

Creating a classroom is very simple and the librarian can share the unique class code for any student to join the class. Class Codes are automatically created or we can edit them as well.

For those librarians who are involved in regular teaching of Information Literacy or Research related courses, Google Classroom can be effectively used as a way to bring all the participants together under one umbrella i.e. into one virtual classroom to ensure that all are receiving the same links, materials, and support by sharing the same class code with those students. Our library orientations or library instruction can also be done using this method followed by a small quiz to gauge the understanding of the students. The possibilities are endless and being innovative is the only quality required here.

I trust this will not only mainstream the things we are sharing; it will also be fulfilling to realize that we have lived up to Ranganathan’s Laws of Library Science.

References:

1. https://canvas.fau.edu/eportfolios/2192/Home/The_History_of_Googles_G_Suite__From_The_Early_Days_To_Now (Accessed on 5th January, 2021)

2. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-09-27-a-timeline-of-google-classroom-s-march-to-replace-learning-management-systems (Accessed on 5th January, 2021)

3. https://developers.google.com/classroom (Accessed on 5th January, 2021)

4. Amanda Izenstark, Katie L. Leahy. (2015). "Google classroom for librarians: features and opportunities", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 32 Iss: 9, pp.1 - 3. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-05-2015-0039

Cite this:

Bhange, C., 2021. Use of Google Classroom for enhancing access to library resources and services: a case study of SFIT Library, Mumbai. [Blog] Chinmayee Bhange, Available at: <https://chinmayeebhange.blogspot.com/2021/01/use-of-google-classroom-for-enhancing.html#more>.