Google Classroom Guide for Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta Faculty

Accessing Google Classroom

1. Ensure you have your Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta email account ready.
2. Go to classroom.google.com
3. Click "Go to Classroom"
4. Sign in with your Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta email address and password
5. If this is your first time, you'll need to accept the Google Classroom Terms of Service

Dashboard Overview

Once you've logged in, you'll see the main Classroom dashboard. Here you can:

• View all your existing classes
• Create new classes
• Join classes as a student (if needed)
• Access the calendar view of all upcoming assignments
• View your settings and profile information

Setting Up a New Class

1. On the Classroom homepage, click the "+" icon in the top right corner
2. Select "Create class" from the dropdown menu
3. Fill in the class details:
   • Class name: Enter the full course name (e.g., "Introduction to Computer Science")
   • Section: Add section information if applicable (e.g., "Section A", "Morning Class")
   • Subject: Select the appropriate subject from the dropdown menu
   • Room: Add the classroom number if applicable
4. Click "Create" to set up your class

Customizing Your Class

After creating your class, you can customize its appearance:

1. Click on your class to open it
2. Click "Select theme" to choose a colorful header image or a photo from your device
3. Upload a class photo that represents your course subject
4. The class code is automatically generated and displayed on the left side

Sharing the Class Code

The easiest way for students to join your class is through the class code:

1. Open your class in Google Classroom
2. Locate the class code displayed on the left side of the screen
3. Click the code to display it in full screen for students to see during class
4. Students can join by clicking the "+" button on their own Classroom homepage and selecting "Join class"
5. They then enter the class code to join your course

Inviting Students Directly

You can also add students directly to your class:

1. Go to the "People" tab in your class
2. Click the "Invite students" button under the Students section
3. Search for students by name using Google Directory
4. Select students and click "Add"
5. Students will receive an email notification to join the class

Adding Materials

Share course materials with your students using the "Classwork" tab:

1. Click the "Classwork" tab
2. Click "Create" and select "Material" from the dropdown
3. Add a title and description for your material
4. Attach files from Google Drive, links, YouTube videos, or other resources
5. Choose to post to all students or specific students
6. Click "Post" to publish the material to your class stream

Creating Assignments

Assignments are a core feature of Google Classroom:

1. Navigate to the "Classwork" tab
2. Click "Create" and select "Assignment"
3. Enter the assignment title and instructions
4. Attach any necessary resources using the icons at the bottom
5. Set the due date and time
6. Set the topic to organize your assignments
7. Choose to post immediately or schedule for a later date
8. Click "Assign" to publish

Creating Quizzes

You can create quizzes directly in Google Classroom:

1. Go to the "Classwork" tab
2. Click "Create" and select "Quiz assignment"
3. A Google Form quiz will be created and linked to the assignment
4. Customize your quiz with various question types
5. Set point values and answer keys where applicable
6. Google will automatically grade responses based on your answer key

Reviewing Student Submissions

1. Click on the assignment from the "Classwork" tab
2. View the number of turned in assignments
3. Click on student names to view their submissions
4. Provide feedback in the comment box
5. Enter a grade directly in the grading panel
6. Return the assignment to the student with your feedback

Using Gradebook

Google Classroom features a built-in gradebook:

1. Navigate to the "Grades" tab
2. View grades for all assignments and all students
3. Click on individual cells to enter or edit grades
4. Click on a student's name to view their assignment history
5. See overall averages for students

Using the Class Stream

The "Stream" tab is the primary communication area for your class:

• Make announcements visible to all students
• Post questions for class discussion
• Share updates about course schedules or important information
• Allow students to comment on posts if enabled in settings

Private Communication

Communicate individually with students:

1. Go to a specific assignment
2. Click on a student's name to see their submission
3. Use the private comments section for one-on-one conversations
4. Use the "Email" button to send an email via your institutional account

Reusing Posts

Save time by reusing content from previous classes:

1. Click "Classwork"
2. Click the "+" button and select "Reuse post"
3. Choose a previous class to select content from
4. Select the post you want to reuse
5. Edit if necessary and assign to your current class

Originality Reports

Help students identify potential plagiarism in their work:

• Enable originality reports for assignments (typically limited to 3 assignments per class)
• Students can run originality reports before submitting to check their work
• Reports highlight text that matches sources from the internet and Google Books
• Faculty can run reports after submission

Integration with Google Meet

Conduct virtual classes directly from Google Classroom:

1. At the top of your Classroom, you'll see a "Generate Meet link" option
2. Click this to create a Google Meet link for your class
3. The link remains visible at the top of your class stream
4. Students can join virtual class sessions using this link

Consistent Organization

Maintain a consistent structure across all your classes:

• Use a standard naming convention for your classes
• Organize materials by weeks or modules
• Keep similar assignment types together
• Use clear, descriptive titles for materials and assignments

Communication Guidelines

Establish clear communication expectations:

• Set expectations for how quickly you'll respond to questions
• Create announcements for important course information
• Use the calendar feature for deadlines
• Encourage appropriate digital communication among students

Accessibility Considerations

Ensure your materials are accessible to all students:

• Add alt text to images
• Provide captions for videos when possible
• Use headings to structure long documents
• Ensure color contrast is sufficient
• Consider diverse learning needs when creating content

Data Privacy

Protect students' information according to institutional policies:

• Keep sensitive grade information private
• Use university email addresses for all communication
• Be mindful when sharing student work examples
• Familiarize yourself with Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta's data privacy policies

Students Can't Join the Class

• Verify the class code is correct
• Ensure students are using a compatible device
• Check if there's a maximum number of students in your class (Google Classroom supports up to 1000 students)
• If issues persist, consider adding students directly using their email addresses

Missing Work in Google Drive

• Check the "Classroom" folder in Google Drive
• Ensure students submitted correctly, not just saved as draft
• Look in the "Missing Work" folder in Drive
• Contact IT support if files appear to be lost despite proper submission

Notifications Not Working

• Check notification settings in Classroom
• Ensure email notifications are enabled
• Check spam or junk folders in email
• Clear browser cache and cookies if experiencing persistent issues