Google Workspace > Google Classroom

[Koldov]

Can anyone tell me if there is a direct correlation between the OUs in Google Workspace and the 'Classes' in Google Classroom?

 

Does Google Workspace feed into Google Classroom?

 

Previously we had just Year Group OUs in Google Workspace and although I'm not directly involved in Google Classroom it seemed to work fine as far as I know (but I don't know how the children were put into each class in Classroom).

 

Recently we have had an 'Education Consultant' involved and they put all the users into 'Class' sub-OUs within the Year Group OUs in Workspace.

 

I initially thought this made things more difficult for me when I wanted to pull data (as it doesn't have to include class), so over the holidays I moved all the users back out of the sub OUs and into Year Groups. Although I've since realised I can manipulate the data in other ways to get what I need, it's easier to move them up a year en masse, rather than class by class (also I don't get the information on what class each child is moving to).

 

Now I've been contacted by the consultant asking why I've done that and would I like them to move the users back into classes.

 

I didn't think Google Workspace OUs related directly to Google Classroom and from a data management point of view on my side I'm not bothered, but if it makes things easier in some way I'll agree.

 

We don't use any kind of auto-provisioning, so I'm not looking for answers about that...

[Primus]

The OUs in Google Workspace have nothing to do with Classroom whatsoever.

[jthompson]

There's no link, other than whether or not Google Classroom is turned on or off for users in particular OUs. No link at all between Workspace OUs and Classroom classes. It seems unlikely that your student OUs aren't all inheriting that setting from a common point higher up in the OU structure, though.

 

My guess is that there is some custom or third-party tool that is relying on students being in those class OUs in order to either populate classes in Google Classroom, or do some other thing. If I were writing such a tool, though, that's not how I'd do it: I'd sync from MIS or Wonde for that, not from a Google Workspace OU structure, since students are likely to belong to a number of different classes.

[Koldov]

Thanks, I though not... do you know how children actually get put into classes in Classroom then?

[Primus]

Thanks, I though not... do you know how children actually get put into classes in Classroom then?

 

Either they join themselves using a teacher supplied code, the teacher manually invites them and they accept the invitation or you have some kind of sync software do it such as Salamander.

[Koldov]

OK, got it I think... is this done as they log on or sent in an email (only our children don't have email enabled)?

 

But for users already enrolled in a class, do the teachers delete them from the class ready for the new children?

[jthompson]

Best practice should be for teachers to archive a class at the end of the year, and then make a fresh one for a new incoming class.

[Primus]

Sorry I'm not sure what you mean about the first bit but if they've not got email turned on I think Classroom will show them invited classes on the Classroom homepage and they can click accept that way.

 

Last one - that's up to your teachers/you. We archive all classes at the end of an academic year, our sync then runs against our timetables and creates new classes.

 

If it were me I'd want a new class at the start of each year.

[Danp]

As an admin, if you use the following extension, you can force pupils into a Classroom without them needing to Accept the invite

 

https://workspace.google.com/u/0/marketplace/app/classright/1005143549738

 

I have my Workspace synced with my MIS so pupils are in year group OUs, this makes it a lot easier to export the email addresses to use in the above extension.

[timbo343]

Depending on your MIS, the easiest way is to sync your classes up to Classroom.

 

We were one of the first testers (along with a few others) for Bromcom to Google Classroom and i must say it looks after it's self and the teachers don't really have to do anything.

 

Classes are set up from either a Form group or a Teaching class.

 

Students and staff have to have an email address set on on their MIS profile along with a Google Account. The user sync from MIS to Google is carried out first and then a Classroom sync is performed.

 

At the end of the year, we download the IDs of the classes to CSV via GAM, change the name and upload the CSV so it archives the class with [AcademicYear]-[NameOfClass] so teachers can unarchive them if they need to.

 

Staff just need to be told that Classrooms won't be created until the 2nd day of a new school year.