How To Create An Online Course With Google Classroom

Written by Glen Brown in Learning Management Systems

With Google Classroom being the new kid on the block and still growing in features have you used it yet?. This article will teach you how to create an online course with Google Classroom.

To create an online course with Google Classroom you have to perform the following steps:

  1. Create a Google account (Optional)
  2. Sign in to Google Classroom
  3. Begin the class creation process
  4. Fill in the required information
  5. Create the Class
  6. Add your students
    1. Send Email Invitations 
    2. Use the Class Code
  7. Upload training content
  8. Begin Your Class

If it is your first time creating an online course with Google Classroom you may need some help throughout the process. So now let’s look at step by step how you would create a class in detail.

Step 1 – Create A Google Account (Optional)

If you already have a Google account you can skip this step. 

Otherwise, before creating your first online course with Google Classroom you have to register and set up your new Google account. The process is very simple and it contains four simple steps as follows:

  1. Go to the Google Account creation page
  2. Fill in the required information
  3. Click the ‘Next’ button
  4. Finish the process

If you want to keep using your current email address instead of creating a new one, you can select the ‘Sign In Instead’ option before hitting the ‘Next’ button. The registration process will be slightly different as you will have to confirm your current email address using your original email account.

Make sure to read all the guidelines provided during the registration process. There are certain requirements for specific portions of your account. For example, the password must contain 8 or more characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. 

If you encounter any trouble during the registration process you can check out the detailed steps on the Google Account Help.

The Google account that you have just created will allow you to use all the Google-based tools. The most important platforms that you can take advantage of for online teaching are:

  • Google Docs – creating, sharing, and editing text documents
  • Google Meet – conduct, host, and join video conferences with your students or other educators
  • Google Drive – free cloud storage you can use to host your training content
  • And more found inside your account in the top-right menu.

Step 2 – Sign Into Google Classroom

Now that you have a valid Google account it is time to sign in to Google Classroom Classroom. This step is very simple. All you have to do is go to the Google Classroom website and authenticate using your credentials.  Then you must click ‘Sign In’ and your Classroom dashboard will come up. 

You will notice that you don’t have any classes set up at this time. The next steps will walk you through the process of creating a class.

Step 3 – Begin The Class Creation Process

After taking a look at the dashboard it is time to create your first class. To do so you have to perform the following steps:

  1. Click the ‘+’ (top right corner of the page next to your profile picture)
  2. Press the ‘Create Class’ button
  3. Read, understand, and accept the Terms and Conditions

As you can see, the interface is very intuitive. There is no need to scratch your head off to create a class, even if it is your first time.

After clicking the ‘Create class’ function, a dialog window will pop-up. It addresses a question about your reason for using Google Classroom. 

The Terms and Conditions state that if you are using it at a school with students, your school must sign up for a free Google Suite for Education account before using the Google Classroom website. If you think that is the case for you check out the Classroom Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this program.

Otherwise, if you are planning to teach the course on your own without any school affiliation tick the checkbox and continue with the following step.

Step 4 – Fill In The Required Information

The final step before creating your first online course with Google Classroom is to fill in the required information in the dialog box. You will be prompted to type in the following information about your class:

  • Class name (required)
  • Section (optional)
  • Subject (optional)
  • Room (optional)

Make your Class Names unique as students may have enrolled in multiple classes from one or more teachers on Google Classroom. 

Step 5 – Create the Class

After making sure all the information is correctly typed, all you have to do is to press the ‘Create’ button.

Then you have to wait for a few seconds until the page automatically refreshes. Now your first Google Classroom online course is published. Let’s continue with the administrative tasks so you can start teaching.

Step 6 – Add Your Students

At this moment you are the only user registered in your class. There are two different methods to add students to your online course:

  • Send email invitations
  • Use the Class Code

Send Email Invitations

If you want to add your students manually into the online course, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the ‘People’ section
  1. Click on the ‘Add Students’ button
  1. Type in your students’ names and email addresses one at a time
  2. Click the ‘Invite’ button

Use the Class Code

You can allow students to join your online course using the automatically generated class code. It is a 7 characters code containing both letters and numbers that you can share with your students. You can find the class code in your course’s dashboard as well as in the ‘People’ section. 

Class code is a great idea when you do not have all your students’ email addresses. Moreover, it is easier for them to copy and paste the code into the browser than for you to manually input all their names/email addresses. If you have a lot of students it can become a significantly time-consuming activity.

NOTE: Make sure to share the correct code otherwise your students will not be able to join your course.

To join the class the Students will have to follow the next steps:

  1. Go to the Google Classroom website
  2. Click on the ‘+’ button
  1. Select the ‘Join Class’ feature
  1. Type in the class code 
  1. Click the ‘Join’ button

Step 7 – Upload Training Content

Google Classroom supports a wide variety of content types. Your class is synchronized with your Google Drive account which means you can upload your content to your Drive for use in your class.

Google Drive

Google Drive understands certain file types so it will let you open them without having to download them.  It will however let you upload any file type.

Google can open the following files:

  • Word Documents
  • Google Docs Formats
  • PDF Files
  • Images (JPEG, PNG, BMP)
  • Video (MPEG4, AVI, FLV)
  • Markup (HTML, CSS, JS)
  • And more.

Apart from the usual file formats, the platform also supports software-specific file types, such as Autodesk AutoCAD (DXF), Adobe Illustrator (AI), and so on. You can find the complete list of Google Classroom (Drive) supported file types here.

You can upload previously created material or create the actual resources online using Google Docs. There are heaps of content types you can use in your course and the article below will introduce the most of them to you.

ARTICLE: The Ultimate Guide to eLearning Content Types

With Google Docs you can create the following file type directly in your Google Drive:

  • Docs (word processor)
  • Slides (multimedia presentations)
  • Sheets (spreadsheets)
  • Drawings (graphs and drawings)
  • Forms (surveys and quizzes)

Adding Content To Your Class

To add a material you have to perform the following steps:

  1. Go to your course
  2. Access the ‘Classwork’ section
  1. Click on the ‘Create’ button
  1. Select the ‘Material’ feature
  1. Add/Create the material
  1. Fill in the required information and select its visibility
  1. Press the ‘Post’ button

If you have more training content to upload simply repeat the above-mentioned steps. After uploading all the materials your class is ready. All you have to do is wait for your students to join the class and start teaching.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of useful features that this learning management system offers free of charge. Make sure to do research and try out different functions to find out what works best for you. 

The most commonly used tools available in the Google Classroom are:

  • Assignments and homework
  • Quizzes and exams
  • Audio-video capabilities
  • Grading methods
  • And more.

There is a lot more you can learn about using Google Classroom and I have listed a few articles below that will allow you to explore some of these features.

ARTICLE: How To Invite Parents To Google Classroom: The Complete Guide

ARTICLE: Grading In Google Classroom: What Teachers Should Know

ARTICLE: Step-By-Step: How To Do a Live Video With Google Classroom

Glen Brown

I am a Technical Trainer and Manager with over 20 years experience in IT, Education and Business. I have multiple qualifications on each topic including post graduate qualifications. I have a passion for sharing knowledge and using technology to do this. If you would like to know more about me please see the about page of the website.

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