A case study of Google Drive Michael Rowe

Vivienne BozalekUniversity of the Western Cape

Background

• UWC Physio Dept • Second year Applied Physio module – health

related conditions• 60 diverse students

Intended outcomes

• Graduate attributes – lifelong learning, critical approaches to knowledge

• Collaborative learning• TEL

Challenge

• lack of critical thinking – externals and supervisor reports

• Memorising• Low digital literacy

Established practice

• Orthopaedics, Neurology, Paediatrics and Respiratory previously

• Different lecturers giving lectures• Course reader• Inadequate representations of real world• Changed this to a case, collaborative learning

and no course readers

Impact/Affordances of ETs

• Authentic learning task• Online and physical spaces• Google Drive collaborative case notes• Installed wireless router• Bring your own device (BYOD)• Facilitators• Students summarised notes and shared• Access from anywhere • Feedback on what was working• Google forms for evaluation

Key points for effective practice

• Create tasks for critical thinking• TEL – collaborative and alternative

geographically dispersed spaces• Don’t assume about digital literacy for

learning

Conclusions and recommendations

• Online and physical allows anytime anywhere• Communication changed• Students took more and more responsibility

for learning• Developed critical attitudes

Description of tool

• Google Drive good for collaboration no docs, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings and forms

• Real time and asynchronous collaboration• Highlighting, commenting and editing

Additional information

• If you would like to know more about this project, please contact the author at michael@realmdigital.co.za