The document discusses the use of Google Docs for collaborative classroom projects. It describes how a graduate professor used Google Docs for group assignments, allowing students to work simultaneously on documents and see each other's edits in real time. While the interface is generally intuitive, some issues can arise from formatting when documents are exported to Word. Google Docs allows users to view revision histories and individual contributions to track changes. The document provides additional resources for using collaborative tools like Google Docs in teaching and addresses potential concerns from both students and faculty regarding group work.

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Google Docs

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Anytime Access
Internet connection
Your time
Your place
Convenience
Working students with
conflicting timelines
Immediate access to
latest version of
document

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Specific use of Google Docs in a class
• Qualitative Research Methods.
– Graduate hybrid class.
– Met F2F once/month. Otherwise online.
– Group work with students/group.
• Qualitative Research Article Critique.
Group project with student co-construction of document to be turned
in.
• Qualitative Research Proposal.
Individual student development. Group members required to
comment/edit. Other class members invited to review/comment.
Examples

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Familiar interface
•Some similar icons to commonly used word processing programs
•Mouse-over reminders for what each icon allows users to do
•Sometimes exported document to Word for formatting – from
Google to Word and back again creates problems
•Tables are sometimes problematic – both within Google or when
downloaded to Word
•Spell check sometimes causes problems

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Revision history

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Revision history

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Revision history

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Save & Share options
Automatic saving of document every few seconds
Author able to click save at any time
Author also able to discard changes so that the revision isn’t kept
in history (only in documents, not spreadsheets)
Some issues with multiple people trying to edit document
simultaneously
Will show editing even if people merely have logged into the
document and have it minimized in browser

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Individual contributions viewable
Each person’s contributions noted by:
Unique color
Username
Date
Time

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Easy to Set up & Add Contributors

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Now you!
Brainstorming about the use of Google Docs
Consider:
Instructional goals
Institutional/instructional context
Characteristics of learners
Characteristics of teachers

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Resources
CheatSheet - Additional tips developed by Bonnie Hunter of TLT Group
(this is, itself, a Google Doc!)
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ajcxc7jhbwxg_30dvc7rb
Resources from Barbara Millis on cooperative learning:
http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_38.pdf
http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/rmillis3.html
http://www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/millis.htm
http://www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/cooplearning.htm

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Reviews of GDS Official GDS Web sites
Home page of Google Docs &
Spreadsheets (GDS):
docs.google.com
If you want to go into this subject more deeply, …
Great review of GDS by Bill Webb:
www.lockergnome.com/nexus/windows/2006/10/16/
google-damps/
Tour of GDS:
www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html
GDS blog:
google-d-s.blogspot.com/
PC Magazine’s review:
www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2032345,00.asp
CNET’s review:
reviews.cnet.com/Google_Docs_Spreadsheets/4505
-9239_7-32115919.html
Google for Educators:
www.google.com/educators/index.html

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Clothing the Emperor
Myths
Everyone likes to work/learn in teams and knows how to participate well
Most students do not like to work/learn in teams and they do not know how to
participate well
Clarification
Neither extreme is accurate – as usual!
Some students worry that other, less conscientious teammates will unfairly
benefit
Some worry that their own contributions will be irretrievably distorted or lost
Some faculty worry that they will be unable to determine who contributed what
to some document – especially if team members argue about that!
Constructive Alternative(s)
LEADERSHIP: Faculty must take responsibility for guiding, supporting team
work/learning
TOOLS: Google Docs (and others) can help with key problems, make some
activities easier; need to be realistic about limitations, too.

15. We hope you’ve discovered some ideas for innovative uses of technology
to support collaborative learning and projects.
Live your life. Create your destiny.
Thank you