Since the start of the 2020-21 school year, FUHSD has been using Schoology to facilitate learning; students manage their courses, check their grades, do assignments, join groups and more. Assessments can also be taken on the platform, and in coordination with LockDown Browser, teachers can ensure students do not open external tabs or applications. As a result of its practicality, it has become an essential tool for faculty and students at FHS.
Many, however, dislike Schoology, especially compared to other learning management system apps. This is evident in the Schoology mobile app reviews on both the Apple App Store, which has an average rating of 1.3 out of 5 stars among 126,000 reviews, and the Google Play Store, where it has an average rating of 1.7 out of 5 stars among 40,000 reviews. In contrast, Canvas, another system used to manage learning, holds a 4.7 out of 5 star rating out of 2,800,000 reviews on the Apple App Store. Many alternative learning management systems, such as 360Learning, also hold ratings higher than Schoology. These ratings show a clear trend in people’s preferences of learning platforms.
However, the ratings of an app do not fully reflect what people think about it. Contrary to the low rating, the teachers at FHS regard Schoology as a useful application. Schoology helps teachers save time by automatically grading tests, organizing student work and easily sharing resources. Although it lacks in some parts, such as flexibility in grading and having bugs from time to time, it works well as a tool for teachers without many issues.
“Everyone has their grumbles, but I think overall, all the teachers are pretty satisfied with the upgrade, [compared to] what we used to have,” FHS Innovation Coach and teacher Janene Rich said. “Schoology does a lot of what teachers want it to do, allowing teachers to be fully digital in their classroom.”
For students, Schoology serves as a one-stop platform to do all of their digital work, including homework, assignments and assessments. However, even if it allows for students to do all of these things, not all of them think that highly of it.
“[Schoology is] not difficult to work with, but it’s just annoying to use on a day-to-day basis,” FHS freshman Siddarth Senthil said. “The problem is, Schoology looks very outdated and it functions in a very outdated manner as well.”
Additionally, many students think that the organization of Schoology could use improvement. Specifically, some believe that their grades could be better organized, with a select few using alternative grade viewers for Schoology.
“Many of my fellow students don’t like Schoology and are using third party alternatives in order to get a better experience when looking at their grades,” Senthil said.
Despite its flaws, Schoology’s introduction has brought a positive change to the community. It has made both teaching and learning more convenient.
“It’s very easy for students to follow along and access different [resources] for the classroom,” Rich said. “It allows lessons to move through easier and [quicker]. [Schoology allows] teachers to explore standards-based grading and really [reshape] the way students think about their performance in class. It’s not about a number, necessarily, but the skills that you’re learning, and Schoology can really support that.”
