Google expands education apps

US giant Google is expanding its “Google Apps for Education” initiative to cover another 4,000 institutes in Thailand, said Samuel Cheung, head of access and education at Google Asia Pacific. 

Over the past few years, Google has encouraged 500 Thai institutions to take part in the initiative, which has benefited a million students and their teachers around the country, he said. 

“Any school and education institute can join up and use Google Apps for Education. It is basically open to all institutions. The schools just need to have at least an Internet infrastructure that is capable of supporting cloud-based learning.

“Google is trying to support schools in this area, including workshops on network planning and how they should create the Wi-Fi system at each school for the best use of Google Apps for all,” he explained. Cheung said there were three focus areas for Google’s support for education: tools and solutions; programme to community; and support and investment. 

“Google Apps for Education is Web-based, so Internet infrastructure is very important – as is the collaboration between teachers and 

students. They can collaborate and communicate with each other on the same document at the same time, but from different places and different devices,” he added.

Google has worked with the Education Ministry and institutions nationwide to ensure they have the right infrastructure in place to support a digital learning environment. 

This includes running technical workshops and consultations, training teachers in how to implement technology in the classroom effectively, and establishing guidelines with the ministry to help Thailand’s educational institutions become cloud-ready.

“In Malaysia, we worked with the Education Ministry along with our partner there, YTL. There are 11 million people involved – students, teachers and educators – and 10,000 schools joining the Google for Education project. There are 100,000 Chromebooks in the education sector available in Malaysia,” said Cheung. 

In terms of hardware, Chromebooks are great for the classroom, he said. They are nicely integrated with Google apps for education and can help improve the teaching and learning experience. 

While Chromebooks have not yet been commercially launched in Thailand, the devices are available in education institutes through partners in order to launch pilot schemes.

“Some education institutions in Thailand have been using Chromebooks in the classroom. This is a part of Google for Education initiatives in Thailand. We will try to launch Chromebooks in Thailand and [elsewhere in Asean], so that they are available commercially for schools to purchase. 

“For partners, we have worked with them in several different ways. For example, at Surathampitak School, we worked with them to launch the devices for use in the Google Apps for Education scheme. They have been using these devices for over a year and a half. The beauty of Chromebook is that it is a multi-user device, which maximises the use of Chromebooks per classroom,” said Cheung.

4,000 schools ‘Going Google’

Somkiet Boodrod, assistant secretary-general of the Office of Basic Education Commission, said technology was now playing an important role in daily life, including in teaching and learning. 

Access to the Web and Web-based devices enriches education by bringing these tools to the classroom. 

Educational institutions across Thailand that have already deployed Google’s Web-based tools are experiencing a range of benefits, from cutting printing costs and paper wastage, to minimising the time staff spend processing documents, he said.

“As to the institutional benefits, we have seen our students really benefit from the ability to collaborate online, as well as create and learn in a more global and immersive way. This year alone, 4,000 schools at all levels – primary, secondary, high school and vocational – will start using Google Apps for Education,” said the official.

Google Thailand’s head of marketing, Pornthip Kongchun, said the experience gained during the two years since Google launched Google for Education in Thailand had showed how technology could transform education.

For example, students and teachers at Surathampitak School have moved from a “talk and chalk” style of learning to being able to give and receive feedback in real time using Google Docs.

Teachers at Chalermkwansatree School, meanwhile, have moved from paper-based courses to creating websites for each subject using Google Sites, which makes it easy for students to access what they need and for teachers to share their resources with other teachers.

“We are playing a [major] part in transforming education in Thailand. Now, over 1 million teachers and students across Thailand have ‘Gone Google’ – and we’re just getting started. We are humbled to be helping equip students across Thailand with the skills they will need in the 21st century and to be part of a broader transformation of Thailand’s education system,” she said.

Moving to cloud-based tools has also helped Thai institutions save money and go green.

For example, since moving from on-premises servers to Gmail and Google Drive, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University now saves Bt3.2 million annually on maintenance and printing costs, while Mahidol University now gets student feedback instantly with Google Forms, instead of having to issue hundreds of paper feedback forms, she added. 

 

How institutions benefit

Matthayom Watnairong School’s students and teachers are among over a million that have moved to Google Apps for Education in the last two years.

Surapong Ngamsom, director of the school, said that during the 2011 floods, when it was too difficult for everyone to commute to school, the institution was faced with the prospect of continued student absences. 

Instead of suspending lessons, however, teachers and students used Google Hangouts to continue classes. They also shared class materials and student work via Google Drive and Sites, all without having to go to school. 

“Today, every teacher hosts their course materials on Google Sites. This has two benefits: firstly, teachers become content creators and this platform gives them a way to share their knowledge and expertise with other teachers. Secondly, students can log in and access everything they needfrom anywhere,” said Surapong.

Artit Ungkanont, Mahidol University vice president for information technology, said the university had started participating in the Google Apps for Education programme last year in order to facilitate more flexible and efficient communication. 

“Instructors and students now use Google Drive, Gmail and Google Calendar to share their work, communicate and stay organised. And we’re confident that experience with these mobile, cloud-based tools is preparing our students for the workforce of tomorrow,” he said. 

Moreover, the University Council has also improved its processes, by moving to paperless meetings with Google Drive and minimising travel costs with virtual meetings via Hangouts. 

Monchai Pantoop, director of Uttaradit Darunee School, said the school’s students, teachers and staff have now started using Google Apps for Education to collaborate more effectively after implementing Google Apps. 

Teachers have found that it is easier to give feedback and that peer-to-peer learning is more effective than traditional models. Teachers can comment on students’ work quickly and easily, while students develop their listening and group-work skills. 

Sawanee Jamroenvong, a teacher at Surathampitak School, said that by using Google Apps for Education since 2013, course materials were now hosted online with Google Drive and Sites. This makes it easier for teachers to give students feedback and for students to do group work from wherever they are located. 

Another benefit of moving to Google Apps has been that learning continues beyond the four walls of the classroom, she said. 

Students now have the opportunity to use the Web to go beyond the information presented in class and research topics in greater depth. This means they’re gaining independent research skills, and accessing a world of information online, she added.

“Our school has also recently started using Google Classroom – a tool for creating and organising assignments, giving feedback and communicating with classes. We’ve found that it has saved teachers lots of time and paper, as we now distribute and collect work from students with just a couple of clicks,” said Sawanee.