In twenty-first century learning, facilitating meaningful group work is an integral part. There are many considerations when designing group learning experiences, including how to enhance group work via online tools.
Use Google Docs and Drive to Motivate Group Collaboration
When the role of the teacher shifts from the center of the classroom to now just a facilitator of learning, we have to turn to collaboration and group work of our classes. Collaboration empowers students and gives each student a voice in the classroom.
To begin this section, I was asked when I had to work collaboratively with my colleagues and answer the following questions:
- How has professional collaboration helped you grow and improve as a teacher?
- When you have had students working in collaborative groups, what made it a successful learning experience?
- Think about collaboration in your workplace and in other workplaces. How will the activities in your classroom prepare your students for that world?
My answers included taking notes during faculty meetings in Google Docs so my department can view and share each other’s notes. Successful learning in collaborative groups comes from setting clear expectations for my students and providing a rubric for group work. The activities in my class prepare my students for the real world by having them reach out to each other to solve problems instead of trying to struggle independently.
There are multiple collaboration features, but there are two main features. The first is Real-Time Editing. This is when students can edit the same document at the same time. As the document is being edited, students can see who the edits are being done by and can effectively work side by side. The second features is Commenting. Teachers can leave feedback directly in the document and the students can communicate with the teacher via this feedback. As a teacher, I can facilitate collaboration, monitor student progress, check for student understanding, and provide feedback to my students.
Check Contributions to Group Work
A powerful tool for teachers and students is the revision history. This keeps a list of all of the changes that is made to the document. Teachers can review the document to see how it has evolved and each what part of the work belongs to each student. Students can also use to this to compare different versions and reflect upon the writing process. The challenge of determining if every student is doing their work can be alleviated by this revision history. The revisions are time-stamped so teachers can see when the changes were made. If a paragraph is accidentally deleted, the revision history can be accessed and located, then the paragraph can be restored. Revision history keeps students accountable, allows the teacher to assess the work of each student, and it helps students track their progress.
More Ways to Use Technology to Facilitate Student Groups
In a group setting, there will naturally be those students who take on the leadership role. In order to keep the group work fair for everyone and to keep everyone updated, students can use Google Forms, Google Calendar, and Google Keep to make sure goals are achieved. Google Forms can be used to collect data needed for projects. Google Calendar allows for a location of deadlines and also for students to see when group meetings are scheduled. When students are busy with extracurricular activities, they can be involved in an asynchronous discussion. This is a type of Google Group web forum where students can participate at various times throughout the day. In Google Keep, students can write virtual notes like a to-do list and all of the notes are shared with everyone in the group. 
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