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MS TEAMS AND GOOGLE CLASSROOM: PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE

COMPARISONS & USER FEEDBACK

Conference Paper · February 2018

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This article represents an update of an earlier version, after feature upgrades of both MS Teams and
Google Classroom, as of August 2018. Amendments are highlighted.

To cite this paper:

Davidson, P., Long, E., Molnar, A., Tai, M. C. & Chong, Y. T. (2018, August). MS Teams and Google
Classroom: preliminary qualitative comparisons & user feedback. Paper presented at the 5th Pre-
University Sunway Academic Conference 2018, Malaysia. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Davidson11

MS TEAMS AND GOOGLE CLASSROOM: PRELIMINARY

QUALITATIVE COMPARISONS & USER FEEDBACK

Paul Davidson1, Evan Long1, Amanda Molnar1, Tai Meng Chui1, Chong Yee
Ting2
1
Sunway College Kuala Lumpur (MALAYSIA)
2
University Malaya (MALAYSIA)
pauld@sunway.edu.my, evanl@sunwayeducation.info,
amandam@sunwayeducation.info,
mengchuit@sunway.edu.my, chongyt@siswa.um.edu.my
Sunway College Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Universiti,
Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom represent two education apps, with the former being new and
the latter more established. At Sunway College’s Canadian International Matriculation Programme
(CIMP), Google Classroom is the predominant e-platform for the dissemination of instructional material.
Both education apps have been trialled for the instruction of A-level (ALE) Biology in 2015-2017. This
article presents a qualitative assessment of the unique strengths of Microsoft Teams and Google
Classroom from the viewpoints of instructors from both CIMP and ALE programmes. User feedback
from the viewpoint of students is also reported.

INTRODUCTION
Google Classroom (GC) and Microsoft (MS) Teams are learning management systems designed to
facilitate the creation, distribution and grading of assignments electronically (Google, 2017). GC made
its debut in 2014 (Wikipedia, n.d.). While MS Teams debuted only in 2017, MS began to roll out its suite
of education apps from the middle of 2016, including MS Classroom, which was succeeded by MS
Teams midyear. MS Teams is the ‘new kid on the block’ and studies on its efficacy vis-à-vis GC are
warranted due to the relative nascency of the former. This paper represents an extension of a
preliminary technical report on MS Teams, with added comparative analyses with GC (Davidson and
Chong, 2018a).

METHODOLOGY
A total of 98 students were studied. Google Classroom (GC) was trialled among Sunway College Kuala
Lumpur (SCKL) A-level students of the January 2015 intake (n = 65), while Microsoft (MS) Teams was
used for July 2016 and September 2017 students (n = 33). Both platforms were used to disseminate
Biology instructional material, collect and assess student work. User experience was gathered via
quantitative self-report online questionnaires.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
As of the time of writing, common functionalities between both GC and MS include document
collaboration, instructor’s comments on assignments can’t be erased by students and instant
notifications. The unique strengths of both apps are tabulated below (Table 1). A detailed comparison
of associated apps used along with Teams and Google are reported elsewhere (Davidson, P., Chong,
Y. T. & Sidek, N., 2017a, b; Davidson, P. & Chong, Y. T., 2017b).

Table 1. Unique strengths of both Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom.

Microsoft Teams Google Classroom
Unique strengths  Instructor-led instantaneous student  Admin-led mass student registration
registration  Easy access to submissions via app
 Offline functionality available after or browser
syncing of associated apps (e.g.,  Variety of 3rd party associated apps
OneNote, Class Notebook, (rubrics, appending peer/ instructor
OneDrive) feedback to assignments)
 Compatible with all 3 major  Assignment filename auto-renamed
platforms (PC, Android and iOS), with students’ names
finger/ stylus functionality on any
device with MS apps

A comparison of both systems are tabulated as follows in Table 2.

Table 2. Summary comparison of MS Teams and Google Classroom.
Teams Microsoft Teams Google Classroom
Student account Dependent on institutional MS account Dependent on admin
creation Bulk upload possible
Student class Instructor adds and deletes students Instructor adds students one at a time
registration one at a time but can delete them en masse
Instantaneous Instantaneous
Students enrol with link (exceeds 190 Students enrol with code (7 characters
characters; exceeds 20 after long)
shortening)

Duplicating class Unknown Yes

Teacher Can assign to one, more or all students Can assign to one, more or all students
assigning Assignment features are not supported Class limit: 250 pax
submissions for classes of more than 200 students.
Teacher Possible on PC only Yes via app
accessing On Android handheld device: can see
submissions student has handed in, but blank Student can access re-edited files after
(unedited) submission (Word); can’t being returned. All editing attempts as
seem to grade work; saved as one pdf file.

If teacher saves student work as another

file within student folder, student can’t
seem to access it.
Student Student can’t edit/ delete document, Student can’t edit/ delete document,
assignment including instructor comments after including instructor comments;
submission submission

Occasional Word bug that doesn’t allow

student to save re-edited
resubmissions.
Rubrics for Yes Yes, via ‘Goobrics’ app
marking Seems non-editable nor detachable Can be edited, detached and re-
after assigning task before grading attached before grading begins.
begins. Can view rubrics vis-à-vis student
Need extended screen to view rubrics submission
vis-à-vis student submission; else,
toggle between apps;
Teams Microsoft Teams Google Classroom
Analytics Spreadsheet available per assignment, Spreadsheet available per assignment,
not centralized not centralized
Appending peer/ Not known Yes, via ‘Docappender’ (import from G-
instructor forms as exit survey/ feedback, etc.)
feedback to
assignment file
Student Filename change manual Filename auto-renamed with student’s
submission name
Connectivity Internet connection not required after Internet connection required always
syncing of OneNote, Class Notebook, Finger/ stylus functionality only via GC
OneDrive app, not Chrome browser
Internet connection required only for
apps other than OneNote, Class
Notebook, OneDrive
Finger/ stylus functionality on any
device with MS Office

Document Yes Yes

collaboration
Graded work Instructor’s comments can’t be erased
after posting.
Student can only re-edit submission
after clicking “Hand-In Again” button.
Instructor’s comments can’t be erased
by students after ‘returning to student’
Student can only edit after clicking
“unsubmit” button
Graded submission converted to pdf,
instructor’s amendments allowed before
& after ‘returning to student’, ‘returning’
multiple times allowed, updates saved.

App availability PC, Android and iOS Android and iOS

If PC, only via Bluestacks, with
limitations (e.g., assignment not
viewable in full screen mode if finger/
stylus functionality used)
Instant alerts Yes Yes
Table 3 compares the storage drives associated with MS and Google Classroom and
represents an extension of the comparison of associated apps from Davidson and Chong
(2017).

Item Microsoft Google

Subscription Institutional Institutional subscription
Drive Personal (e.g., OneDrive personal) or Institutional subscription only (Google
institutional subscription (e.g., OneDrive File Stream)
for Business) Can upload multiple folders
Can’t upload multiple folders Unlimited file number upload
Limited file number upload Operable on non-Android OS
Operable on non-MS OS On PC, can only copy non-Google docs
On PC, can copy all file types to another to another location (error message:
location Can’t create G files… yet)
Inconsistency in accessibility of
unknown origin detected depending on
network &/ or location

G drive appears inconsistently, i.e.,

accessible at times, but not always
(tested on 2 different PCs). Folders
created online not synced to PC
(absent).
USER EXPERIENCE

Students were polled on their experience of using either Onenote (the predominant app used here under
MS Teams) or GC. Items which garnered an outright favourable majority were for accessibility and future
relevance (Table 2). As preliminary t-tests revealed no significant difference between users of both apps
on the items below (p <.05), responses were pooled.

Table 2. Student experience of either OneNote or Google Classroom (n = 98).

Percentage (%)
Onenote/ Google Classroom… Disagree
mostly Neutral Agree mostly
...is an effective way to access materials 33 22 45
...enables me to access learning anywhere
& anytime 17 16 66
...gives me more chances to attempt
practice questions 22 41 37
...becomes more relevant if my future
university conducts e-learning 11 22 66
...diminishes the importance of attending
classes 38 26 37

A more detailed treatment of preliminary technical issues pertaining to MS Teams have been
documented elsewhere (Davidson and Chong, 2018b).

CONCLUSION

Despite entering the education arena relatively late, MS Teams and its related apps have proven a close
rival to dominant systems such as Google Classroom and its associated apps. While MS Teams and
other MS’s education suite of apps are limited in variety, one major drawback of Google Classroom is
the lack of a book-like centralized platform feature which enables offline working on a variety of
associated apps to the degree that MS apps allow. This is where MS apps associated with MS Teams
are unrivalled (e.g., OneNote and Class Notebook). While in the future the gap between both GC and
MS Teams is expected to narrow, decision on its use eventually rests on user’s needs, preferences,
platforms and devices accessible.

Disclaimer
This report may have been limited by the time during which the authors accessed the apps, which might
have undergone improvements after the time of writing.
 Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Ms Carol Wong Yoke Pei and Ms Irma Chan Pic Renn for their visionary and
progressive leadership of ALE Sunway College Kuala Lumpur in encouraging innovation in education,
without which this endeavour would not be possible.

REFERENCES
Davidson, P. & Chong, Y. T. (2018a). MS Teams for Education: an interim report from an e-ducator’s
perspective. DOI: (if/ as provided by Research Gate). Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Davidson11

Davidson, P. & Chong, Y. T. (2018b). MS Teams for Education and associated apps. A report for
Microsoft Malaysia.

Davidson, P., Chong, Y. T. & Sidek, N. (2017a, 19 May 2). MS Teams for Education and associated
apps. A report for Microsoft Malaysia.

Davidson, P., Chong, Y. T. & Sidek, N. (2017b, 19 May 2). Surface, MS Teams, Onenote & associated
apps usage. A report for Microsoft Malaysia.

Davidson, P. & Chong, Y. T. (2017). MS Classroom, Google Classroom & allied apps: comparison
from an educational perspective. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36414.08000. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Davidson11

Microsoft (2017). Microsoft Teams – Group Chat software. Products.office.com. Retrieved 2

December 2017, from https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software

Google (2017). About Classroom - Classroom Help. (2017). Support.google.com. Retrieved 2

December 2017, from https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6020279?hl=en

Wikipedia (n.d.). Google Classroom. En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2 December 2017, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Classroom

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