Group items tagged

"Google Docs, an online word processing application, is a promising tool for collaborative learning. However, many college instructors and students lack knowledge to effectively use Google Docs to enhance teaching and learning. Goals of this study include (1) assessing the effectiveness of using Google Docs in an out-of-class collaborative writing activity through measuring the assignment's influence on students' learning experiences, (2) teaching students to work collaboratively, and (3) teaching students to successfully communicate their understanding and application of concepts through writing. Undergraduate students (N = 35) were randomly assigned to small groups to complete two out-of-class assignments. We compared students' collaborative performance and learning across two assignments, one with Google Docs and one without. We found (1) most students were unfamiliar with Google Docs prior to the study, (2) Google Docs changed the means of communication used in collaborative writing, (3) 93% of students considered Google Docs a useful tool for group work, (4) using Google Docs had no effect on students' paper grades, and (5) half of the students reported they would like to use Google Docs in the future. Our results suggest that Google Docs was a useful tool for collaborative writing and influenced student learning. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)"

"Carole Henriot, French Teacher MYP/DP at Istanbul International Community School. In my presentation, I would like to demonstrate through a world language class activity how one can use Google apps in (a language B) classes to encourage students to: work collaboratively on a common goal complete peer-evaluations and give feedback learn from each other and from their mistakes be challenged to reach their highest potential"

"Using Blogger, a free Google-powered weblog-generating website, English as a second language (ESL) instructors can create motivating and empowering learning opportunities for students. Instructors can generate their own blogs, including not only a class blog that builds a community-learning setting online, but also a teacher's homepage to communicate with students and a content-specific blog that extends classroom lessons to online practice. In addition, instructors can guide ESL students in the blog-creating process, leading them to write their own blogs, such as an online journal of their experiences in a foreign country."

Another helpful Article on Assistive Technology from Blekko.com