Create Online Courses with these 7 Free Google Tools

Have you ever thought of joining the bandwagon of online course creators? Possibly, because you heard that the online course industry today is fast becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, growing astronomically in recent years.

And you’re thinking! How can I be part of this global cake?

You search online; listen to experts; attend seminars; buy some digital products… all in a bid to know how you can be part of this fast growing, money-spinning industry!

But in all your searches, you discover that, to take the first step, you have to spend so huge, even when you’re not sure of having students for your course yet.

And you’re thrown aback!

There are so many online course platforms out there that promises free registration; but you would soon discover that many of them offer limited functional tools to free users; while for the others, you lack the perfect control to implement your uniqueness while building your course.

I experienced all these, and I keep thinking: Is there no way to create a near-professional online course without breaking the bank as a startup?

It was this research that led me to discovering some wonderful free Google tools and integrations suitable for online course creation- tools that everyone can easily use to build a professional online course.

In this post, I want to show you how to create online courses with these free Google tools and integrations.

You might be conversant with some of these tools, but have never known how powerful they can be for your online course creation.

I am going to list them one after the other, based on their serial functions in online course.

Take note of this: you can only use these free Google tools if you have an active Google mail (Gmail) account.

#1. Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a web browser owned by Google. Apart from the fact that you need it as part of the Google family while using Google tools, frankly speaking, it remains the best in terms of universal compatibility and coverage today.

Using the Google Chrome browser while creating online courses makes it easier for you to have unlimited access to those add-ons and extensions that gives a professional touch to your course building.

#2. Google Sites

When creating an online course, one thing you need is a platform where your students can visit to take the course. Google Sites (especially the new version) is a beauty to behold. I am currently running an online course, using the Google Sites.

With Google Sites, you can attach texts, images, videos, documents in form of Google Docs, Google Sheet, Google Slide, Google Drawing etc. The integration system is so powerful that you can personalize your sites to reflect your brand interest.

You can also promote affiliate links on your site- a feature you can’t easily have with all these other platforms. Imagine having all these free!

Alternatively, you can use the Google Classroom as a free tool to host your online course

                 

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Google Classroom

#3. Google Forms

There are three major ways you can use Google Forms when creating an online course.

i.                 Create an invitation form to invite prospective students to join your class. As a startup, it would be very difficult to depend on Search engines to promote your course. But when you create an invitation form with Google Forms, you easily share it on Social media and other online forums/communities.

ii.                Create evaluation forms for your students while the course in ongoing as well as at the end of the course. This will help you to understand where you need to improve; it will also help you collect testimonies needed for subsequent marketing of your course.

iii.               Use Google forms to create assessment tests to evaluate the progress made by your students in the course. With the Certify’em integration, your students with get a digital certificate for passing the final examination.

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#4. Google Sheets

You need Google Sheet to create a permanent database for all your students. There are lots of email campaign tools that work with Google Sheet (if you’re using the Google Chrome browser). With any of those tools, you can have an email list, which helps you build a strong customer base for your online course.

#5. Google Docs

When creating your contents for online course, you need the Google Docs to make things easier for yourself. There are lots of functionalities that come with Google Docs that you can’t find in other word processing packages. You can easily attach other doc formats (presentation, spreadsheet, forms), videos, images and drawings into your contents.

In fact, there are some pre-designed templates that make it easy for you to create any type of design for your online course contents

#6. Google Drive

Google Drive is the powerhouse for all your work with the foregoing Google tools. As a Gmail account holder, Google offers you a free cloud storage of 15 GB (which can as well be upgraded).

All your works are saved in your Drive cloud storage, meaning that you can’t lose them even if you lose your gadget. Google Drive helps you to share any of your files directly to whoever that need them.

#7. Google Hangout

You can have live chat and videoconferencing with your students, using the Google Hangout. You can also create a demonstration video by sharing your screen with your students.

With live chat, you can have up to 100 students at a go; while 50 can go for a videoconference.

One great benefit of these free Google tools, when creating online courses, over other tools is that by using them, all your works are automatically saved in the cloud. You can always retrieve them to create courses for different audience at different time.

We are using it, and can as well help you create a full functional training site for just $5. Let’s hear of your interest via the comment box.

Helpful Resources

Watch these videos on Google tools:

1. Google Hangout Video

2. Google Drive Video

3. Google Sheet Video