International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering Website: www.ijetae.com (E-ISSN 2250-2459, Scopus Indexed, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 12, Issue 08, August 2022) Manuscript Received: 22 June 2022, Received in Revised form: 26 July 2022, Accepted: 01 August 2022 DOI: 10.46338/ijetae0822_05 36 The use of Google Classroom among Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak 1 , Nurul Ain Hasni 2 , Norasyikin Abdul Malik 3 , Mohd Haniff Mohd Tahir 4 1,2,3 Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia 4 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Communication, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim Perak, Malaysia Abstract— COVID-19 outbreak has tremendously impacted education by implementing online learning in schools and universities worldwide. Google Classroom (GC) is one of the online learning platforms favored by educators in facilitating online learning due to its various benefits. Due to its significance, there has been a growing trend in examining its users' perception of using GC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, this review investigates the students' perception of using GC during the pandemic. Relevant articles for this review were identified from two leading databases: Scopus and Web of Science. Three main steps were involved in this review method: identification, screening, and eligibility processes. The selected articles revealed that the use of GC allows the students to acquire new knowledge and language skills due to its ease of use, usefulness, flexibility, and accessibility. Meanwhile, among the challenges the students face in using GC during the COVID-19 period involved device and connection issues, their readiness to use the platform, and the inability to receive instant instructor feedback. Educational institutions are then encouraged to improve their e-learning infrastructure and knowledge to accommodate the use of GC. Conversely, teachers should also optimise both asynchronous and synchronous learning through GC and anticipate their students' general limitations in using GC and online learning. Keywords— COVID-19, Google Classroom, online learning, students’ perception. I. INTRODUCTION Google Classroom (GC) is free online learning designed to facilitate educators in managing their teaching and learning sessions. The online platform was launched in 2014 [1] and used by approximately 40 million teachers and students around the globe in 2019 [2]. Since then, there has been a growing trend of using GC as its active users have doubled since 2020 [3]. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the education system must deal with difficulties and adapt to teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. As schools and universities were forced to conduct online classes to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, educators had to rely heavily on digital technologies. Many universities developed online learning platforms to facilitate educators conducting their online classes. Nevertheless, not many of these platforms were ready and could simultaneously accommodate a significant amount of data. Hence, the existing and more established online learning platforms such as Edmodo, Moodle, Microsoft Teams, and GC were chosen by many educators to assist them in managing their virtual classes. Even though there is an abundance of the available online learning platform, GC is still preferred by many teachers and educators as it offers many features to aid them in conducting non-face-to-face classes. Past literature revealed numerous benefits in using GC as a learning tool, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. The platform, for instance, allows educators to create and post various learning resources like pictures, videos, and links, manage students' assessments, give feedback to their students, and enable them to conduct live teaching and learning sessions [4]. In a study conducted by Hussaini et al. [5], it was found that GC is dependable, effective, and efficient in enhancing learners’ access and attentiveness in learning. They further elaborated that learning activities conducted in GC encouraged learners to shift from being passive learners to active ones. Meanwhile, it was discovered that the use of GC helps the students development of their English proficiency and stimulates their self-learning spirit [2]. GC is also deemed to encourage student involvement in learning activities that eventually enhances classroom dynamics [6]. Apart from its benefit for students' language proficiency, it is also discovered that GC is an efficient learning device to support online science learning. Widiyatmoko [4], for example, found that GC can facilitate science teachers in managing classes, conducting laboratory activities, and making online tests.