Merits and Demerits of Google classroom

 

How would you like to be a part of a classroom hub where you could communicate with your learners, provide them with constructive feedback whenever they needed it, and streamline the sharing of classroom documents and assignments? Google Classroom does exactly that; it is Google’s ambitious addition to online education as well to the Learning Management System industry, and it aims to make classrooms all over the world not only paperless, but also more effective. Google Classroom is available through Google Apps for Education, as at the moment it is aimed at academic institutions only, and not corporate training. In this article, I'll share a Google Classroom review by mentioning 8 advantages and 8 disadvantages, in order to help you decide whether Google Classroom is suitable for your eLearning courses.

8 Google Classroom Advantages

1. Easy to use and accessible from all devices. 

Even if you are not a Google user, using Google Classroom is a piece of cake. Apart from being delivered through the Chrome browser, which makes it accessible from all computers, mobile phones, and tablets, it makes it really easy for you to add as many learners as you like, create Google documents to manage assignments and announcements, post YouTube videos, add links, or attach files from Google Drive. Learners will find it equally easy to log in, as well as receive and turn in assignments.

2. Effective communication and sharing.

One of the greatest advantages of Google Classroom is Google Docs; these documents are saved online and shared with a limitless number of people, so when you create an announcement or assignment using a Google doc, your learners can access it immediately through their Google Drive, as long as you have shared it with them. Furthermore, Google Docs are easily organized and personalized in Google Drive folders. In other words, you no longer need emails to share information; you just create a document, share it with as many learners as you want, and voila!

3. Speeds up the assignment process.

How about creating an assignment and distributing it with just a click of a button? And how about learners turning in the completed assignment in a matter of seconds? Assignment process has never been quicker and more effective, as in Google Classroom you can easily check who has submitted their assignment and who is still working on it, as well as offer your feedback immediately.

4. Effective feedback.

Speaking of feedback, Google Classroom gives you the opportunity to offer your online support to your learners right away; this means that feedback becomes more effective, as fresh comments and remarks have bigger impact on learners’ minds.

5. No need for paper.

There might be a day that grading papers would be impossible to imagine; Google Classroom is certainly interested in getting there as soon as possible. By centralizing eLearning materials in one cloud-based location, you have the ability to go paperless and stop worrying about printing, handing out, or even losing your learners’ work!

6. Clean and user-friendly interface.

Staying loyal to clean Google layout standards, Google Classroom invites you to an environment where every single design detail is simple, intuitive, and user-friendly. Needless to say, Google users will feel right at home.

7. Great commenting system.

Learners can comment on specific locations within pictures for a variety of online courses. Furthermore, you can create URLs for interesting comments and using them for further online discussion.

8. Is for everyone.

Educators can also join Google Classroom as learners, which means that you can create a Google Classroom for you and your colleagues and use it for faculty meetings, information sharing, or professional development.

8 Google Classroom Disadvantages

1. Difficult account management.

Google Classroom doesn’t allow access from multiple domains. Furthermore, you cannot log in with your personal Gmail to enter it; you need to be logged in Google Apps for Education. As a result, if you have already a personal Google ID, it may be frustrating to juggle multiple Google accounts. For example, if you have a Google document or a photo in your Gmail and you want to share it in the Google Classroom, you will need to save it separately in your computer’s hard drive, log out, and then log in again with your Google Classroom account. Quite a hassle.

2. Limited integration options.

Google Classroom hasn’t yet integrated with Google Calendar, or any calendar whatsoever, which may cause some problems with organizing material and assignment deadlines.

3. Too “googlish”.

First time Google users may get confused, as there are several buttons with icons familiar only to Google users. Additionally, despite enhanced integration between Google and YouTube, which significantly helps video sharing, support for other popular tools is not built in, and you may find it frustrating that you will need to, for example, convert a simple Word document to a Google Doc to work with. All in all, you will only find yourself comfortable in the Google Classroom environment as long as the tools you are using are aligned with Google services.

4. No automated updates.

Activity feed doesn’t update automatically, so learners will need to refresh regularly in order not to miss important announcements.

5. Difficult learner sharing.

Learners cannot share their work with their peers, unless they become “owners” of a document, and even then they will need to approve sharing options, which will create a chaos if they want to share a document with their, say, 50+ classmates.

6. Editing problems.

When you create an assignment and you distribute it to learners, learners become “owners” of the document and they are allowed to edit it. That means that they can delete any part of the assignment they want, which could cause problems, even if it happens accidentally.

7. No automated quizzes and tests.

One of the main reasons that Google Classroom cannot yet fully replace your Learning Management System is that it doesn’t provide automated quizzes and tests for your learners. In general, Google Classroom is more suitable for a blended learning experience than a fully online program.

8. Impersonal.

Speaking of a blended learning environment, Google Classroom has not integrated Google Hangouts, which creates a problem; online interaction between teachers and learners is only possible through Google documents. Effective education requires interaction and building relationships with learners, and online discussions are the best way to achieve this in a virtual environment. Unfortunately, there is no way to have a live chat in Google Classroom; at least, again, not yet.

Video about Advantages and Disadvantages of Google Classroom

Health and Safety in using ICT

 

Health & Safety

Quick revise

Working with computers for long periods of time can cause:

• Stress;
• Eyestrain;
• Wrist injuries;
• Neck and back problems.

Employers can be sued if they do not take steps to protect employees.

Stress

Some of the ways that ICT systems can cause stress for workers:

• Many people are afraid of computers and fear that they will be left behind or made redundant if they are unable to learn new ICT skills quickly enough and keep up with the younger more computer-literate generation;
• ICT systems make information instantly available wherever you are. Mobile phones, pagers, portable computers and the Internet make it possible to work anywhere. This means that some people find it virtually impossible to forget about work and relax.
• The amount of information that ICT systems can produce is often far too much for anyone to take in. This results in ‘information overload’, which causes workers to become stressed by the feeling that they can’t cope with the information that they are receiving. 
• Workers can be monitored using ICT systems — the feeling of being constantly ‘watched’ caused by this can be very stressful.

Repetitive strain injury

Repeating the same physical movements over and over again can cause a condition known as RSI.

Repeated presses on the keyboard and long periods of holding and moving a mouse cause a build up of damage to the hands arms and shoulders.

Eyestrain

Spending long periods of time in front of a computer screen can cause eyestrain.

This can be avoided by:

• Ensuring there is enough light;
• Reducing the amount of glare;
• Ensuring workers wear correct prescription glasses if needed.

Extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation

Computer monitors are a common source of ELF.

Some evidence suggests that working for long periods in front of a computer screen may increase the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy.

Computers, health & the law

Laws designed to protect people from workplace health hazards are administered by the Health and Safety Executive.

Legislation requires employers to:

• Inspect workstations to make sure that they meet the required standards for health and safety;
• Train employees how to use workstations correctly;
• Make sure that employees take regular breaks or changes in activity;
• Provide regular eye tests for workstation users and pay for prescription glasses

Legislation requires employees to:

• Use workstations and equipment correctly in accordance with the training provided by their employer;
• Inform their employer of any problems relating to Health and Safety as soon as they arise and co-operate with the correction of these problems.

Workspace design

When purchasing new equipment or designing a working ICT environment, employers must consider:

• Lighting – workplace should be well lit;
• Furniture – Height-adjustable swivel chairs with backrests and desks large enough to hold the computer and paperwork;
• Noise – Work space should be quiet;
• Hardware – Screens must not flicker and should swivel and tilt. Keyboards must be separate, moveable and fitted with wrist supports;
• Software – This should make tasks easier;
• The working environment – work space should be well ventilated and maintained at a comfortable temperature

This video explains about computing health and safety

Operating System ( types and features)

What is an Operating System?

An Operating System (OS) is a software that acts as an interface between computer hardware components and the user. Every computer system must have at least one operating system to run other programs. Applications like Browsers, MS Office, Notepad Games, etc., need some environment to run and perform its tasks.

The OS helps you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer’s language. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or mobile device without having an operating system.

Operating System with Market Share

Types of Operating System (OS)

Following are the popular types of OS (Operating System):

• Batch Operating System
• Multitasking/Time Sharing OS
• Multiprocessing OS
• Real Time OS
• Distributed OS
• Network OS
• Mobile OS

Batch Operating System

Some computer processes are very lengthy and time-consuming. To speed the same process, a job with a similar type of needs are batched together and run as a group.

The user of a batch operating system never directly interacts with the computer. In this type of OS, every user prepares his or her job on an offline device like a punch card and submit it to the computer operator.

Multi-Tasking/Time-sharing Operating systems

Time-sharing operating system enables people located at a different terminal(shell) to use a single computer system at the same time. The processor time (CPU) which is shared among multiple users is termed as time sharing.

Real time OS

A real time operating system time interval to process and respond to inputs is very small. Examples: Military Software Systems, Space Software Systems are the Real time OS example.

Distributed Operating System

Distributed systems use many processors located in different machines to provide very fast computation to its users.

Network Operating System

Network Operating System runs on a server. It provides the capability to serve to manage data, user, groups, security, application, and other networking functions.

Mobile OS

Mobile operating systems are those OS which is especially that are designed to power smartphones, tablets, and wearables devices.

Some most famous mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, but others include BlackBerry, Web, and watchOS.

 Functions of Operating System

Some typical operating system functions may include managing memory, files, processes, I/O system & devices, security, etc.

Below are the main functions of Operating System:

Output Devices (common devices and their functions)

 

Output devices 

Computer output devices receive information from the computer, and carry data that has been processed by the computer to the user.  Output devices provide data in myriad different forms, some of which include audio, visual, and hard copy media.  The devices are usually used for display, projection, or for physical reproduction.  Monitors and printers are two of the most commonly-known output devices used with a computer.

Computer output devices are all peripheral hardware, and are connected to a computer by cables, or by wireless networking.

Reasons for Having an Output Device

A computer can still function without an output device.  However, without an output device, there’s no way to determine what the computer is doing.  There is no indicator of errors, nor of the need for additional input.  For example, if you detach your monitor from your computer, the computer will still function, but it’s not going to be very helpful.

Examples of Output Devices

                                                     Monitor – This is the most common computer output device. It creates a visual display by the use of which users can view processed data.  Monitors come in various sizes and resolutions.

Common Types of Monitors

• Cathode Ray Tube – this uses phosphorescent dots to generate the pixels that constitute displayed images.
• Flat Panel Screen – this makes use of liquid crystals or
  plasma to produce output. Light is passed through the liquid crystals in order to generate pixels.

All monitors depend on a video card, which is positioned either on the computer motherboard or in a special expansion slot. The video card sorts out the computer data into image details that the monitors can then show.

 

 Printer – this device generates a hard copy version of processed data, like documents and photographs. The computer transmits the image data to the printer, which then physically recreates the image, typically on paper.

Types of Printers

• Ink Jet – this kind of printer sprays tiny dots of ink onto a surface to form an image.
• Laser – this type utilises toner drums that roll through magnetized pigment, and then transfers the pigment onto a surface.
• Dot Matrix – dot matrix printers utilise a print head to set images on a surface, using an ink ribbon. These printers were commonly used between 1980 and

Speakers – speakers are attached to computers to facilitate the output of sound; sound cards are required in the computer for speakers to function. The different kinds of speakers range from simple, two-speaker output devices right the way up to surround-sound multi-channel units.

Headset – this is a combination of speakers and microphone.  It is mostly used by gamers, and is also a great tool for communicating with family and friends over the internet using some VOIP program or other.

Virus and Antivirus

  

Virus

A computer virus, much like a flu virus, is designed to spread from host to host and has the ability to replicate itself. Similarly, in the same way that flu viruses cannot reproduce without a host cell, computer viruses cannot reproduce and spread without programming such as a file or document.

In more technical terms, a computer virus is a type of malicious code or program written to alter the way a computer operates and is designed to spread from one computer to another. A virus operates by inserting or attaching itself to a legitimate program or document that supports macros in order to execute its code. In the process, a virus has the potential to cause unexpected or damaging effects, such as harming the system software by corrupting or destroying data.

How does a computer virus attack?

Once a virus has successfully attached to a program, file, or document, the virus will lie dormant until circumstances cause the computer or device to execute its code. In order for a virus to infect your computer, you have to run the infected program, which in turn causes the virus code to be executed.

This means that a virus can remain dormant on your computer, without showing major signs or symptoms. However, once the virus infects your computer, the virus can infect other computers on the same network. Stealing passwords or data, logging keystrokes, corrupting files, spamming your email contacts, and even taking over your machine are just some of the devastating and irritating things a virus can do.

While some viruses can be playful in intent and effect, others can have profound and damaging effects. This includes erasing data or causing permanent damage to your hard disk. Worse yet, some viruses are designed with financial gains in mind.

How do computer viruses spread?

In a constantly connected world, you can contract a computer virus in many ways, some more obvious than others. Viruses can be spread through email and text message attachments, Internet file downloads, and social media scam links. Your mobile devices and smartphones can become infected with mobile viruses through shady app downloads. Viruses can hide disguised as attachments of socially shareable content such as funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files.

To avoid contact with a virus, it’s important to exercise caution when surfing the web, downloading files, and opening links or attachments. To help stay safe, never download text or email attachments that you’re not expecting, or files from websites you don’t trust.

Antivirus

Antivirus is a kind of software used to prevent, scan, detect and delete viruses from a computer. Once installed, most antivirus software runs automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks.

Comprehensive virus protection programs help protect your files and hardware from malware such as worms, Trojan horses and spyware, and may also offer additional protection such as customizable firewalls and website blocking.

How does antivirus work?

Antivirus software begins operating by checking your computer programs and files against a database of known types of malware. Since new viruses are constantly created and distributed by hackers, it will also scan computers for the possibility of new or unknown type of malware threats.

Typically, most programs will use three different detection devices: specific detection, which identifies known malware; generic detection, which looks for known parts or types of malware or patterns that are related by a common codebase; and heuristic detection, which scans for unknown viruses by identifying known suspicious file structures. When the program finds a file that contains a virus, it will usually quarantine it and/or mark it for deletion, making it inaccessible and removing the risk to your device.

Input Devices (Common Devices and Their Functions)

 

“An input device sends information to a computer system for processing. Input devices only permit access to the computer to enter data”. For example, a keyboard sends electrical signals and the computer receives input. The signals are then interpreted and displayed by a computer, or the output of those signals is viewed as text or images on a monitor.

Following are some of the important input devices which are used in a computer −

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Joy Stick
• Light pen
• Track Ball
• Scanner
• Graphic Tablet
• Microphone
• Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
• Optical Character Reader(OCR)
• Bar Code Reader
• Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

Keyboard

Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing additional functions.

Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also available for Windows and Internet.

The keys on the keyboard are as follows −

1) Typing Keys

These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09) which generally give the same layout as that of typewriters.

2) Numeric Keypad

It is used to enter the numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it consists of a set of 17 keys that are laid out in the same configuration used by most adding machines and calculators.

3) Function Keys

The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard which are arranged in a row at the top of the keyboard. Each function key has a unique meaning and is used for some specific purpose.

4) Control keys

These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional arrow keys. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down, Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).

5) Special Purpose Keys

Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

Mouse

Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device having a small palm size box with a round ball at its base, which senses the movement of the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed.

Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a wheel is present between the buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, but it cannot be used to enter text into the computer.

Advantages

• Easy to use
• Not very expensive
• Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard.

Joystick

Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a monitor screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.

The function of the joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer Aided Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.

Light Pen

Light pen is a pointing device similar to a pen. It is used to select a displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube.

When the tip of a light pen is moved over the monitor screen and the pen button is pressed, its photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU.

Scanner

Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when some information is available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disk of the computer for further manipulation.

Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into a digital form that can be stored on the disk. These images can be edited before they are printed.

Digitizer

Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital form. Digitizer can convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of numbers that could be stored in a computer. They can be used by the computer to create a picture of whatever the camera had been pointed at.

Digitizer is also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet as it converts graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used for fine works of drawing and image manipulation applications.

Hacking

Hacking—Definition, Types, Security, and More

A commonly used hacking definition is the act of compromising digital devices and networks through unauthorized access to an account or computer system. Hacking is not always a malicious act, but it is most commonly associated with illegal activity and data theft by cyber criminals. 

Hacking refers to the misuse of devices like computers, smartphones, tablets, and networks to cause damage to or corrupt systems, gather information on users, steal data and documents, or disrupt data-related activity.

A traditional view of hackers is a lone rogue programmer who is highly skilled in coding and modifying computer software and hardware systems. But this narrow view does not cover the true technical nature of hacking. Hackers are increasingly growing in sophistication, using stealthy attack methods designed to go completely unnoticed by cybersecurity software and IT teams. They are also highly skilled in creating attack vectors that trick users into opening malicious attachments or links and freely giving up their sensitive personal data.

As a result, modern-day hacking involves far more than just an angry kid in their bedroom. It is a multibillion-dollar industry with extremely sophisticated and successful techniques.

History of Hacking/Hackers

Hacking first appeared as a term in the 1970s but became more popular through the next decade. An article in a 1980 edition of Psychology Today ran the headline “The Hacker Papers” in an exploration of computer usage's addictive nature. Two years later, two movies, Tron and WarGames, were released, in which the lead characters set about hacking into computer systems, which introduced the concept of hacking to a wide audience and as a potential national security risk.

Sure enough, later that year, a group of teenagers cracked the computer systems of major organizations like Los Alamos National Laboratory, Security Pacific Bank, and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A Newsweek article covering the event became the first to use the word “hacker” in the negative light it now holds.

This event also led Congress to pass several bills around computer crimes, but that did not stop the number of high-profile attacks on corporate and government systems. Of course, the concept of hacking has spiraled with the release of the public internet, which has led to far more opportunities and more lucrative rewards for hacking activity. This saw techniques evolve and increase in sophistication and gave birth to a wide range of types of hacking and hackers.

Educational Technology

 

Educational technology is a term used to describe a wide array of teaching-and-learning–related software and hardware that’s increasingly being used in college and university classrooms. The ultimate goal of educational technology, also referred to as Ed Tech, is to enable an improved learning environment, which in turn is meant to boost student outcomes. It has also been proven to increase student engagement and participation in class.  

Educational technology refers to technology that usually helps facilitate collaboration in an active learning environment. By using educational technology, educators can create digital, interactive textbooks, gamify lessons, take attendance, assign homework, hold quizzes and tests and get real time results related to teaching material, style and format. Educational technology is disrupting traditional education and teaching methods by offering both teachers and students the ability to learn in an environment that makes use of now-common devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets.

The essential objective of Educational Technology is to improve the quality of education and enhance the learning process. Most importantly, technology should magnify the teaching and learning process as well as facilitate better performance of educational systems as it emphasizes upon effectiveness and efficiency.

Best 4 Browsers

A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web. This includes Web pages, videos and images. The word "browser" originated prior to the Web as a generic term for user interfaces that let you browse (navigate through and read) text files online. Many people will use web browsers today for access to the internet and is seen almost as a necessity in how many navigate their daily life

 Google Chrome 

Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox.[12] It was later ported to Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, where it is the default browser.[13] The browser is also the main component of Chrome OS, where it serves as the platform for web applications.

Most of Chrome's source code comes from Google's free and open-source software project Chromium, but Chrome is licensed as proprietary freeware.[11] WebKit was the original rendering engine, but Google eventually forked it to create the Blink engine;[14] all Chrome variants except iOS now use Blink.

  Firefox

Firefox is a Web browser that is smaller, faster, and in some ways more secure than the Mozilla browser from which much of its code was originally derived. Compared to Internet Explorer, the most popular Web browser, Firefox gives users a cleaner interface and faster download speeds.

Because of Firefox's open-source development platform, it can be quite unsecure to use on publicly accessible computers. For personal and single-user business devices, however, Firefox is relatively safe, especially once all security features are activated and tweaked to your needs.

  Opera

Opera is a resource-friendly browser that focuses on using less of your PC and Internet resources. Many of its features are made to strip down resource usage (more on them later). As a result, you experience fewer hiccups and hang ups when on Opera.

Despite its lower usage numbers, many of the awesome features you use in your favorite non-Opera browser are either introduced by Opera or turned mainstream by it. The speed dial, private/incognito window, pop-up blocker, tabbed browsing, ability to turn off images and browser sessions are some of the features that originated from Opera.

  

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is the best browser for Windows. Sync your passwords, favorites, and settings across multiple devices and start using Microsoft Edge today.

Microsoft Edge is an internet browser made by Microsoft, which is installed by default on all new Windows computers. Edge was made to replace Internet Explorer, and runs faster and with more features

The computer system

A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to accept data (input), process it and generate result (output). A computer along with additional hardware and software together is called a computer system.

A computer system primarily comprises a central processing unit (CPU), memory, input/output devices and storage devices. All these components function together as a single unit to deliver the desired output. A computer system comes in various forms and sizes. It can vary from a high-end server to personal desktop, laptop, tablet computer, or a smartphone. 

1.1.1 Central Processing Unit (CPU) It is the electronic circuitry of a computer that carries out the actual processing and usually referred as the brain of the computer. It is commonly called processor also. Physically, a CPU can be placed on one or more microchips called integrated circuits (IC). The ICs comprise semiconductor materials.

1.1.2 Input Devices The devices through which control signals are sent to a computer are termed as input devices. These devices convert the input data into a digital form that is acceptable by the computer system. Some examples of input devices include keyboard, mouse, scanner, touch screen, etc.

1.1.3 Output Devices The device that receives data from a computer system for display, physical production, etc., is called output device. It converts digital information into human understandable form. For example, monitor, projector, headphone, speaker, printer, etc.