Dive Brief:
- The Google Classroom iOS and Android apps are getting a new round of updates, such as the ability to choose a custom image to serve as a theme — an addition Google compares to decorating the classroom for some extra pizzazz.
- Some other additions: Easier access to classroom docs through the "About" page and quicker overall speed.
- Platform-specific features include Android users now having the ability to add emojis (emoticons) to their work, while iOS userscan add video and images to theirs.
Dive Insight:
These are some pretty quick updates, considering the fact that Google only announced Classrooms for mobile devices in January. The learning management system itself launched in August (though it rolled out an invite-only beta in May).
So what else has been possible on mobile from the get-go? The ability to access the app without opening a browser and to work offline through caching. That second feature is pretty helpful in districts with high-student populations coming from homes without broadband, an issue in many rural and some urban communities.
It's nice to see Google taking the time to think about aesthetics. In June, however, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University published a study in Psychological Science finding that elementary school students have smaller learning gains and struggle to concentrate when they're in overly decorated classrooms. We wonder how this might translate to "overdecoration" in apps, if that exists.