Tool Reviews
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Overview
Google Docs Overview (2:27)
Description
Google Docs is an interactive, web-based, word processor that allows students to produce text documents that live entirely on the cloud (Alharbi, 2019). Students can create, share, and collaborate in real time. Google Docs is distinguished from other Web 2.0 tools by its editing feature that enables both author and reviewer to contribute to the text synchronously (simultaneous editing of writing by learners) and asynchronously (non-simultaneous editing by learners) (Alharbi, 2019). The ability for teachers to monitor their students’ progress and provide feedback on students’ work right on this innovative platform supports students’ Zone of Proximal Development as they are guided by teachers from the start of planning their work to the final stage of editing, through to feedback and drafting practices and activities (Alharbi, 2009).
Justification for Using this Tool
Google Docs is an interactive tool that allows users to work on a document simultaneously (Alharbi, 2009), on a one-to-one or one-to-many basis (Desjardins, 2005a). As suggested by a constructivist learning approach, collaborating and conversing with others enriches student understanding (Jonassen et al., 1999). Students can work on the document at the same time, building off each other’s ideas, research, brainstorming, and suggestions. Collaboration using Google Docs is not restricted to the classroom environment, providing flexibility, as students can work together at any time, anywhere, through the doc (Suwantarathip & Wichadee, 2014). Students can also utilize the chat function to partake in discussion with group members or teachers to further enhance knowledge construction (Suwantarathip & Wichadee, 2014). Virtual collaboration can lead to more reflections and sharing of ideas than face-to-face collaboration (Clark & Mayer, 2011). Working collaboratively reflects a wide range of perspectives and as such, results in a more complete and comprehensive product (Suwantarathip & Wichadee, 2014).
Google Docs also supports a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach where a given or student constructed problem is the starting point of the learning process to be solved by a group of students (De Graaff & Kolmos, 2003). Students can use Google Docs as a learning tool, where they come together to understand the problem and document various solutions on the Doc. The immediacy of the tool allows teachers to monitor students’ progress and provide constant suggestions, pose questions, and seek clarification, using the comments feature that the tool provides (Alharbi, 2009; Suwantarathip & Wichadee, 2014). Research shows that the use of constructive feedback can enhance students’ quality of work in terms of content, organization of ideas, language and grammar, conventions, and referencing (Ciftci & Kocoglu, 2012).
Strategies for Use
Strategy 1 – Feedback
Google Docs as a Teacher and Peer Editing/Feedback Tool (2:36)
Google Docs has many