Introduction

This blog explains how to prevent students from sharing Google Docs in Google Classroom. Since the shift to digital learning especially after the pandemic Google Classroom has become a go-to platform for managing assignments, communication and collaboration. But with this convenience comes a common concern among educators, can students see each other’s work in Google Classroom? And more importantly, how do you stop students from sharing their assignments with others?

While Google Drive’s sharing settings offer some control, determined students can still find ways around them. That’s why it’s crucial for teachers and school IT admins to understand how to properly limit document sharing. In this blog, we’ll explore practical and reliable ways to block sharing features, maintain academic integrity and create a distraction-free learning environment.

Understanding the Risks

Sharing documents within Google Classroom can lead to unintended consequences, such as unauthorized access, plagiarism or the accidental exposure of sensitive information. By acknowledging these risks, educators can take proactive measures to safeguard student privacy and maintain the integrity of their assignments.

Prevent Students From Sharing Documents In Google Classroom

Can Students See Each Other’s Work In Google Classroom?

Any teacher using Google Classroom to streamline lessons and other school works has this concern. Can students see each other's work in Google Classroom? Or can students share documents in Google classroom? The short answer is Yes, they can. Unless you have been strategically about your settings or using an extension.

Your Google Classroom is connected to a Google Drive folder where all student assignments and classwork are stored. Sometimes, a student might accidentally or even intentionally click on that shared folder link. Once inside, they can view their classmates’ submitted work, even if they can’t edit it. This can raise concerns about privacy, academic integrity and potential copying.

How to Prevent Seeing Each Other’s Academic Work?

  • To prevent any student from reaching your assignment folder in Google Drive, you need to locate that specific folder.
  • Then right-click on it and choose the sharing options. Turn off the sharing and save the changes.  Now, your student cannot see others' work in Google classroom.

It’s no surprise that Google Classroom has been a game-changer for learning. However, if students are able to share assignments with each other without oversight, it opens the door to cheating and academic dishonesty. That’s why it’s important to take steps to prevent students from sharing work. So, let's see how to stop students sharing. 

How to Prevent Students Sharing in Google Classroom?

1. Restrict Sharing Permissions in Google Drive

Students often use Google Drive to share Docs, Slides or Sheets.

  • Go to Google Admin Console > apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs
  • Navigate to Sharing Settings.
  • Under Sharing Options, do the following:
    • Uncheck users can share files with people outside [your domain] setting.
    • Disable allow users to publish files on the web or make them visible to the world as public.
    • Enable only users in your organization can access files option.

Note: This doesn’t stop students from sharing files within the school domain.

2. Limit File Sharing to Teachers Only

  • In the same Admin Console, restrict students from sharing files even within the domain:
    • Use Organizational Units (OUs) to separate students from staff.
    • For the student OU,
      • Sharing outside your organization→ Off
      • Sharing with people in your organization → Off (or limited to teachers)

3. Enforce Sharing Restrictions with xFanatical Safe Doc

Manual settings can be bypassed by clever students. xFanatical Safe Doc, a Chrome extension for school-managed devices, enforces strict policy to -

  • Block the Share button in Docs, Slides and Sheets.
  • Disable Email as attachment option.
  • Prevent students from making a copy of documents.

When you use xFanatical Safe Doc with your Google Classroom, it will remove the Share feature altogether.  This means the students won't find it in Drive, Docs, Slides or anywhere else. Additionally, xFanatical Safe Doc can also block shared drive file links. The best thing is that you can try it for free. Check out the trial version of xFanatical Safe Doc.

How to Block Google Drive Sharing in Google Workspace for Education || Stop Google Drive Sharing

Conclusion

Preventing students from sharing documents in Google Classroom is crucial for maintaining academic honesty and ensuring assignments are completed independently. While Google Workspace offers some basic sharing restrictions, they can often be bypassed by tech-savvy students. To truly control document sharing, a combination of Drive permission settings and tools like xFanatical Safe Doc is essential. With the right setup, you can create a focused and distraction-free learning environment for your students.

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