Today, Google announced new features aimed at educators using Google Classroom. These include the ability to assign quizzes through Google Forms and “lock” them, so that students cannot navigate away from the page while the quiz is underway (potentially cutting down on cheating), as well as parental controls to set “off hours” on school-issued devices.
Teachers can also now organize assignments by topic and group them by module. Additionally, the “People” page allows educators to communicate easily with students, fellow teachers and parents or guardians. Teachers can also use the new Measure tool on Google Earth to have students calculate distances and focus on their own development as an educator in the Teacher Center.
Alongside this software announcement, Google also revealed new hardware aimed at classrooms. The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the first tablet designed to run the same operating system as Chromebooks. It will have front- and rear-facing cameras, USB-C charging and Expeditions AR and VR. The tablet is available now, with AR and VR features coming this fall. Additionally, the Staedtler Noris is a stylus designed to look and feel like a pencil; it will be available this summer.