CETL%Weekly%Teaching%Tips%presents
Group Work with Google Docs
Group%work%is%a%challenging%act%of%balancing%challenges%and%rewards%for%collective%effort.%We%
want%to%evaluate%students%fairly%based%on%their%work,%but%we%also%want%to%evaluate%their%ability%to%
bring%together%different%perspectives%and%work%as%a%team,%much%the%way%they%will%do%in%their%
careers.%Google%Drive%offers%common%technology%used%in%classrooms—a%Google%Docs%word%
processor%(lik e%MS%Word)%and%Google%Slides%slide%presenter%(like%MS%PowerPoint)—in%a% format%
that%allows%seamless%and%recorded%collaboration%among%multiple%users.
Written'by'Amy'Rutledge,'
Special'Instructor'of'Management'Information'Systems.'
Created'by'Christina'Moore.'Published'February'2017.
For%group%work%I%use%Google%Docs%to%keep%track%
of%work.%Each%group%member%has%access%to%the%
document%(along%with%me).%
The%program%
highlights%and%
tracks%edits%
made%to%the%
document.%If%
a%group%
member%
hasn't%done%
any%work%or%
poor%quality%
work,%then%I%
can%tell.
The%Basics
• Google%Docs%can%be%used%with%any%Gmail%account.%People%without%Gmail%accounts%can%be%
invited%to%view%documents.%Anyone%with%a%Google-powered%email%account%(such%as%those%
with%@oakland.edu%email%addresses)%are%automatically%tied%into%Google%Drive,%which%is%
where%Google%Docs,%Slides,%and%other%programs%are%available%(see%green%image%above).
• Collaborators%are%added%to%Google%Docs%at%the%creator’s%discretion.%Creators%can%choose%
whether%collaborators%view,%edit,%or%m a nage%the%document%(share%with%others).
• Any%number%of%people%can%work%in%a%Google%Doc%simultaneously.%You%can%actually%see%
others%typing%in%the%document%at%the%same%time%you%are.
• Google%Docs%save%automatically.%People%use%them%for%collaborative%work%because%everyone%
has%the%same%most%recent%version.%You%can%revert%changes%in%the%case%of%accidental%edits.
• Revision%history%(see%yellow%image%above)%allows%anyone%to%see%the%history%of%changes,%
which%are%color-coded%per%user.%
For$more$guidance$on$using$Google$Docs,$visit$google.com/docs
CETL%Weekly%Teaching%Tips%presents
Group Work with Google Docs
Written'by'Amy'Rutledge,'
Special'Instructor'of'Management'Information'Systems.'
Created'by'Christina'Moore.'Published'February'2017.
During%class,%the%students%are%asked%
to%create%a%basic%plan%for%their%
presentation%on%the%storyboard.%As%
a%group,%they%decide%the%subtopics%
and%then%each%group%member%is%
assigned%a%subtopic%within%the%
presentation.%The%storyboard%
becomes%a%contract%between%the%
group%members.%They%will%then%give%
me%the%storyboard%so%I%know%who%is%
responsible%for%which%subtopic.%
Again,%they%will%use%Goo gle%Docs%to%
create%the%presentation%and%it%tracks%
the%work.
Benefits%f or%Faculty
As%I%show%in%the%first%two%images,%Google%Docs%allows%me%to%easily%organize%and%monitor%group%
work,%which%also%makes%students%feel%more%assured%of%mutual%accountability.%).%When%I%assign%
a%group%research%project,%each%student%is%asked%to%research%their%group%topic%and%then%place%
the%research%in%a%Google%Doc.%The%program%highlights%and%tracks%edits%made%to%the%document.%
If%a%group%member%hasn't%done%any%work%or%poor%quality%work,%then%I%can%tell.%
Additional%Ideas
Use%more%tools%available%in%Google%
Drive,%such%as%Slides%(like%
PowerPoint)%and%Forms%(a%survey%
tool).%All%of%these%tools%are%available%
in%the%same%place.%More%on%Google%
Drive%can%be%found%at%
drive.google.com
• Use$Google$Docs for%group%planning,%brainstorming,%and%drafting%formal%writing.
• Use$Google$Slides$for$group$presentations.$The%students%will%start%to%add%their%slides%here,%
with%each%person%working%on%his/her%part.%I%ask%that%the%students%put%what%they%are%going%to%
say%in%the%Notes%section%below%each%of%their%slides.
• Use$Google$Forms$for$group$evaluations.$Forms%allows%you%to%use%a%variety%of%question%
types,%from%rating%scales%to%open-answer%comments.
