Google Classroom is something that many of us in education have probably heard of. In many of the districts in Victoria, including 61 and 63, Google classroom is a staple. It is extremely easy to use and best of all its free. However, it doesn’t come without some caveats. Your information is not secure and they are able to use your information however they choose once its in their databases across the border.

So what are your other options?

Today we are going to be looking at a couple of the alternatives that you can use.

First off we are keeping it relevant to our program, and we are looking at a program favorite for us at UVIC

Brightspace

Brightspace is the platform that we are using on the UVIC website. It was created by D2L or desire to learn. Brightspace has become a little infamous in our program this semester, but why is that? Brightspace is compatible on any device including mobile and tablets and is easily accessible anywhere anytime. Brightspace guarantees 99% uptime and this adds to its accessibility. As well Brightspace guarantees privacy and unlike Google classroom your data is not being used or put out there for everyone to see.

Obviously there are benefits to using Brightspace and there is a reason that UVIC went with this platform, but what are some of the cons that we have noticed this semester?

  1. Its very unorganized and messy.
  2. Its not user friendly.
  3. Accessing feedback is difficult and inconvenient.

 

Microsoft Teams

A clear competitor Microsoft teams is another alternative to Google classroom. Obviously Microsoft is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, so one would expect a high quality option from them. Microsoft teams however, is not geared towards education. Microsoft has decided to focus more on a business application and not compete with a Google dominated area that education is. Microsoft teams markets itself as a communication tool. Making it easy to chat, stream and collaborate. There is not an emphasis on education. Some schools have switched to this platform anyways, with UBC Sauder using it and Camosun. Main reasons like Brightspace is privacy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems that Google Classroom is one of the most accessible and easily integrated platforms. While there is some competition out there, it is still not touching Google Classroom in terms of ease of access and user friendliness. Just ask any educator in Victoria and Saanich school districts. Even with the privacy issues it seems that Google Classroom is here to stay.