Google Classroom™ Feature Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents Overview ...... 1 District Opt-in/Opt-out Process ...... 2 EasyBridge vs. Google Classroom ...... 2 Google Account Linking and User Consent ...... 3 Class Import and Roster Management ...... 4 Assignments and Functionality ...... 5

Overview Q: What are the features and benefits of the Google Classroom™ feature with Savvas Realize™? A: The new Google Classroom feature with Savvas Realize enables teachers to quickly and easily import classes from Google Classroom into Realize. The import feature will create a class in Realize for each class within the teacher’s Google Classroom experience. Any Google Classroom roster changes will automatically be synchronized with the linked Realize class. Once the teacher has imported a class from Google Classroom into Realize, any Realize assignments created for that class will automatically appear both in Realize and in Google Classroom, saving teachers the extra step of creating two individual assignments (one in Realize and a separate assignment in Google Classroom). Students who access Google Classroom will be able to use single sign-on (SSO) to sign in to Realize using the assignments that the teacher created within his or her Google-linked Realize classes. Students will launch assignments from Google Classroom, and be redirected to Realize where they can complete and turn in their work. This will update the status of the assignment in Google Classroom. When a grade is available for the student’s assignment in Realize, the platform will automatically send the student’s grade back to Google Classroom for the specific assignment. Click the links below to watch some helpful videos about this functionality. • Savvas Realize: Teacher Experience in Google Classroom Video • Savvas Realize: Student Experience in Google Classroom Video

Q: Why might a district want to opt out of this integration? What are the potential drawbacks? A: If the school district is actively promoting the use of a different Learning Management System (LMS), such as Instructure Canvas or Schoology, then the district might want to choose to opt out of the integration because the integration is designed specifically to allow teacher-driven import of classes into Realize from Google Classroom. Alternatively, if Google Classroom usage across the district is low or inconsistent, then the district might want to opt for a district-driven approach using EasyBridge for better consistency across all teachers.

Q: Is the Google Classroom roster import a teacher-driven action? A: Yes. Teachers will see a white banner under their classes menu to import and take action. If the teacher chooses to dismiss the banner, the integration functionality will always be available under the teacher’s Settings menu in Realize.

Q: Will other Savvas platforms add the Google Classroom feature? A: No. Only Realize offers the Google Classroom feature.

1 District Opt-in/Opt-out Process Q: What happens if a district or school originally opted out of the Google Classroom feature, but then chooses to opt in to the integration at a later date? A: If a district that opted out chooses later to have the feature enabled, they can contact support to request the feature be turned on. It can take 1–2 weeks for the request to be completed. Once the feature is turned on, teachers will see the Google Classroom feature appear on their home page. At that point, teachers can start to import their classes from Google Classroom into Realize. If they had been using EasyBridge or Realize-created classes prior to the integration being enabled, teachers can hide those classes within Realize and begin using the classes in Realize that were imported from Google Classroom.

Q: What happens if a district or school did not opt out of the Google Classroom feature and teachers use the feature for a period of time before the district requests to have the feature turned off? A: We can turn off the integration for a district at any time, though it might take 1–2 weeks for our team to complete the request. Please note that any Google-imported classes that were created in Realize while the integration was active will continue to be visible and accessible in Realize until the teacher decides to hide the Google-imported classes. Also note that it is not possible for us to migrate assignments or other data from a Google-imported class into a non-Google-imported class in Realize.

Q: Why don’t I see the Google Classroom feature when I log in to Realize as a teacher? A: The Realize team offered a choice to districts to opt out of the Google Classroom feature. If you do not see the Google Classroom feature banner on the Realize homepage, or if you do not see the Google Account Linking feature in your Realize Settings, then your district decided to opt out of the integration. You can follow up with your district’s IT team to determine why your district might have opted out of the integration.

Q: If a district opts out of the Google Classroom feature, is there another setting in Realize that allows teachers to share a Google Drive™ so the content is accessible to students? A: Yes, this feature is available in Realize regardless of whether the district opts out of the Google Classroom feature.

EasyBridge vs. Google Classroom Q: Does the Google Classroom feature still work if you are an EasyBridge district? A: Yes, the Google Classroom feature works for all EasyBridge districts. Teachers who would like to use the Google Classroom feature can simply choose to hide EasyBridge classes in Realize. Likewise, teachers who do not use Google Classroom can choose to use the EasyBridge-created classes in Realize. As such, we strongly recommend that you continue to provision Realize using EasyBridge, as you’ve done in the past. This will enable you to cater to all your teachers, including those who do and those who do not use Google Classroom.

Q: How do teachers manage Google-imported classes alongside classes created using EasyBridge or Realize? A: When the teacher imports a Google Classroom class into Realize, it will always create a new class within Realize. These newly created classes will appear alongside any classes that were previously created through either an EasyBridge integration or manual class creation directly within Realize. The Google-created classes will be clearly marked with a Google Classroom icon, so teachers can easily distinguish them from any classes in Realize that are not Google-linked. Teachers who only want to use the Google-linked classes in Realize can choose to hide non-Google classes by using the Hide Classes feature in Realize. We suggest that teachers export data using the Data tab in Realize before hiding classes, if any data is required. Teachers should then instruct students to log in and access all assignments directly from Google Classroom.

2 Q: How do student accounts created using the new Google Classroom roster import feature relate to student accounts created through traditional EasyBridge/Realize account creation workflows? A: If a student is rostered to an EasyBridge class and is also part of an imported Google Classroom class, the student will have two separate Savvas identities for Realize access. The student will have one identity that was created through the EasyBridge import process, and he or she will have a second Realize identity that was created when the teacher imported the Google Classroom class. This means that if Teacher A chooses to import a Google Classroom class containing Student A into Realize, Student A will access that teacher’s Realize assignments via Google Classroom. If Teacher B also has Student A in a different class, but Teacher B does not use Google Classroom, Student A will access Realize through the traditional paths, which vary based on whether the district is EasyBridge Basic/Auto (non-SSO) or Plus (SSO). When the student accesses Realize work via Google Classroom for Teacher A’s class, the student will not see the work he or she did for Teacher B. Likewise, when the student accesses Teacher B’s class in Realize, the student will not see his or her work for Teacher A. This is because the student effectively has two separate Realize accounts—one created via the Google Classroom feature and one created via standard EasyBridge/Realize workflows.

Q: What are the advantages to syncing Google Classroom to Savvas Realize over just using EasyBridge? A: Syncing Google Classroom to Savvas Realize is the only way to enable the assignment integration with Savvas Realize.

Q: Our district uses EasyBridge Plus, so we do not need Google Classroom to generate classes. Is there a way to connect EasyBridge-generated classes in Realize to Google Classroom? A: No, there is not a way to link EasyBridge-created classes to a Google Classroom class.

Q: Will EasyBridge Plus files that are sent nightly overwrite the rostering that is done in Google Classroom? A: No, the data you send to EasyBridge will not be overwritten by any activity invoked by teachers using the Google Classroom feature, and vice versa. In other words, all Google-imported classes create new class rosters that use Google Classroom as the system of record instead of EasyBridge, and all EasyBridge classes will continue to be provisioned by your data files.

Google Account Linking and User Consent Q: I linked the wrong Google Classroom teacher account to my Realize teacher account. How do I unlink, or disconnect, the Google account so that I can choose my correct Google Classroom account? A: Go to your Settings page and select the Disconnect button in the Google Account Linking feature. Please note that once you take the action of importing a class, and you subsequently disconnect your accounts, the class(es) you previously imported from Google Classroom into Realize will convert into Realize basic class types and will no longer sync with Google Classroom. If you no longer need the classes that were imported, you can manually hide them. If you share a Google-imported class with a co- teacher, please be aware that when you disconnect your Google account from Realize, you will no longer be able to view the Google-imported class. However, your co-teacher will still be able to view the Google- imported class within Realize. In addition, re-connecting the same Google account will not link to the previously imported classes, but will import the Google classes again.

Q: What happens if a student does not accept Google’s request for consent for Realize to access Google information? A: When a student first logs in to Realize via a Google Classroom assignment link, Google will ask the student if he or she is OK with Realize accessing the Google Classroom information that is required to enable the features of the integration. This is a standard message that many students are used to seeing, as it is required of any integration with Google products. If for some reason the student does not accept the consent request, we will continue to ask the student for consent until the student says “yes.” Until that point, the features of the integration will not work for the student.

3 Q: As an administrator, what do I need to do in the Google Admin Console to ensure the integration with Savvas Realize will function properly? A: Check the setting that allows users to authorize apps to access their Google Classroom data via the Classroom API. This setting is set to “yes” by default. To check your configuration, go to the Google Admin Console page for Google Classroom App settings and verify that your Data Access setting shows that “Users can authorize apps to access their Google Classroom data.” If this feature is not enabled, the integration with Realize will not function properly. It is not recommended to frequently change this setting. Turning it off and on again will force all your teachers and students to re-accept Savvas Realize as a trusted app.

Q: Does a teacher need to log in to both Google Classroom and Savvas Realize in order to link the class? A: Yes, a teacher will need to log in to his or her Realize account. If the teacher is not also logged in to Google, he or she will be prompted to do so during the account linking process.

Q: How do students who are connected to Realize through Google Classroom access online textbooks? A: If your district is among those that use Google as the Identity Provider in the SAML SSO integration with EasyBridge and Realize, then students will be able to sign in to Realize with their Google identity to access the eText. For all other students, this article describes how your students can access Realize directly from Google Classroom.

Q: How might this process look differently if staff already have a single sign-on (SSO) through Google already? Right now, our staff logs in to Realize with their students using the “waffle” in Google. A: Teachers and students can continue to access Realize via the Google waffle icon link, because your district is integrated using EasyBridge Plus with Google as your Identity Provider.

Q: What happens to the Realize class if a teacher deletes the “source” class in Google Classroom? A: If the teacher deletes the class in Google Classroom, the class will be disabled within Realize as well.

Class Import and Roster Management Q: Is co-teaching supported in Google Classroom? A: A co-teacher will be able to view and access the class imported from Google Classroom, once the co- teacher is added to the class. Once the co-teacher is removed from a class, he or she will not be able to access the class or perform any activity on the class. Please note: The co-teacher will continue to see the Google Classroom class even after the co-teacher has been removed from the class until the co-teacher refreshes the page and/or logs out and logs back in. This is a known issue.

Q: What happens when a student is added to or removed from a class in Google Classroom? Will Realize update its roster accordingly? A: Yes, any Realize class roster that was imported from Google Classroom will automatically remain in sync with changes taking place in the Google Classroom roster. The Google Classroom class is the “source of record” for roster data for the corresponding Realize class, so that when students are added to or removed from the Google Classroom class, Realize will perform automatic updates to ensure the two system rosters are in perfect sync.

Q: Can you create groups in a Realize class that was imported from Google Classroom? A: No, you cannot create groups in a Realize class that was imported from Google Classroom. The Realize group creation feature is disabled because Google Classroom does not support named groups. Additionally, within Realize, it is possible to have students from different classes (both non-Google- imported and Google-imported) within the same group. This creates challenges when assigning Realize content to a mixed-class group. Therefore, group creation is not available for Google Classroom-imported classes. Work-Around: Assign the assignment to specific students within a Google-imported class.

4 Q: What is the end-of-year process? Will classes need to be deleted manually? A: The New Year Rollover process will also apply to these classes. Though your classes will remain in Google Classroom, you will not need to manually delete classes from Realize unless your district opts out of the New Year Rollover process.

Q: Is there an integration option between Google Classroom and an SIS to populate classes and rosters in Google Classroom? A: We recommend contacting your SIS vendor to see what they might have to offer. You can also review the following link provided by Google to see if your SIS application works with Google Classroom.

Q: What happens if a student is dropped from a teacher’s Google Classroom class? A: Realize will receive push notifications from Google Classroom any time a roster changes and Realize will automatically update its rosters accordingly.

Q: I see a long string of 32 characters after a student’s username. Why is this? A: This can happen when the username of a student in your class was previously imported into Realize, which requires globally unique usernames. If you are experiencing any issues relating to this, please contact technical support for more details.

Assignments and Functionality Q: Do Google Classroom teachers create assignments in Realize? A: Yes, the teacher must log in to Realize to find and assign content. Any assignment in Realize that is assigned to a Google-imported class or student will automatically be created in Google Classroom, as well as in Realize.

Q: Which Realize programs will work with the Google Classroom feature? A: All Realize programs will work with the Google Classroom feature! This feature is not specific to any one program in Realize.

Q: What is happening to the Google Classroom Share feature that was added to Realize in 2017? A: This feature has been removed for all users regardless of whether the new Google Classroom feature is being used. The Google Classroom Share button was replaced by the new Google Classroom feature.

Q: In Google Classroom, a teacher can return an assignment to a student to revise/redo. Will that function (and other Google Classroom functions) work in this integration? When a student un- submits an assignment in Google Classroom, what happens in Realize? A: Realize does not have an un-submit feature, so if students un-submit their work in Google Classroom, the corresponding Realize assignment will still be in “Completed” status. However, if the student un- submits his or her assignment in Google Classroom, then the student is free to add attachments and use other features on the Google Classroom side to help convey his or her assignment work to the teacher.

Q: How do students access the textbook through Google Classroom without being assigned something? A: If your district is among those that use Google as the Identity Provider in the SAML SSO integration with EasyBridge and Realize, then students will be able to sign in to Realize with their Google identity to access the eText. For all other students, this article describes how your students can access Realize directly from Google Classroom.

5 Q: How do teachers hide classes in Realize? A: Teachers can hide classes using the Hide feature in Realize. Hiding an assignment in Realize does not hide the assignment in Google Classroom since this feature is not available in Google Classroom. Our online help explains the process of hiding a class in Realize in more detail. Please see this link. EasyBridge Auto/Plus Users: If you are using multiple platforms, hiding classes in Realize may also inadvertently hide classes in other platforms. This is a known bug. We recommend keeping classes visible until this issue is resolved.

Q: Do scores pass from Google Classroom back to Realize? A: No, scores will not pass from Google Classroom back to Realize. Realize, however, will pass score data back to Google Classroom. This is a key feature of our integration.

Q: If the teacher changes the class name in Google Classroom, how does that name change propagate to Realize? A: If the teacher changes the Google Classroom name, the teacher will need to use the manual Sync button available within Realize to update the name of the class in Realize accordingly.

Q: Where do teachers need to create Realize assignments when using the Google Classroom feature? A: Teachers need to create Realize assignments in Realize and assign them to Google-linked classes, which are clearly marked with a Google Classroom icon. Students then log in and access their assignments directly from Google Classroom. There is no direct student login to Realize when using a Google Classroom identity.

Q: Will students see Realize assignments created before they join the Google Classroom class? A: No. Google Classroom assignments created in Realize will not appear for students who join the class after the creation date. This is the same way it works today in a non-Google-imported class in Realize.