using google docs as an interactive learning tool

Using Google Docs as an Interactive Learning Tool

By: Mushfiqah Otto(UWC)

Background

I lecture financial accounting honours students at UWC.

The course comprises of 50 credits and its for a duration of 9 months, commencing in February.

My class comprises of 35 students and majority of them live on the residents of UWC, where they share a room with a classmate.

As 90% of them live on the universities residences and quite close to each other, it is thus easy for those that does not have a personal device, either to share with a roommate or class buddy that has access to Google docs.

Background

The course is very structured in terms of topics that needs to be lectured and very lecture based as set out by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) .

As we only have 9 months contact time with the students in order to prepare them for the examination set by SAICA, it leaves us very little room to deviate from the designated syllabus .

Established Practice We are preparing our students to write the examinations set by the

South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in order for them to qualify as Chartered Accountants (CA’s).

We have a detailed outline of topics that will be examined in the examinations set by SAICA and as Financial Accounting is one of the core subjects, it is presented in a lecture based-format.

In addition to the preparation of the examinations, SAICA also wants us to integrate information technology (IT) as part of the development of the students as set out in the SAICA Competency Framework, in order to develop a well-rounded student.

There is little to no guidance given by SAICA of how to integrate IT in the Financial Accounting subject area.

Established Practice

Currently when presenting our lectures we make use of PowerPoint presentations and the use of excel, but there is no IT integration from the students’ perspective.

As a result, I would like to integrate IT in a manner that will meet both the criteria as set out in the SAICA Competency Framework as well as incorporate an IT tool that will be of benefit to the students in preparation of their examinations.

Challenge

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) wants us to integrate more IT into our programme as set out in the SAICA Competency Framework.

There are no specific criteria of what and how to integrate more IT in the programme.

I have exposed them to excel and PowerPoint in the classroom, but would like to integrate it from their side.

All of the students can access the internet from the rooms on the universities residence but they don’t necessarily have personal laptops/smart phones, but I have recommended they should hook up with a classmate that has access to the internet.

Intended Outcomes

To encourage students to use google doc as an e tool to encourage participants to engage with the material (tutorial/information pack) on line.

Each week they receive an information pack of the topic we doing along with tutorials.

When they working through the tutorial they can then use google doc as a platform to ask questions on the tutorial/homework they are struggling with, then their classmates who has already done the tutorial can comment on the problem identified and provide a solution.

Intended Outcomes

The document can then also be saved for other students that have not worked through the specific question for future references.

This will assist students with their problems immediately, instead of waiting to consult with me the next day or during my consultation times. I will regularly review and monitor the questions/comments made by my student and facilitate the process.

Affordances of Emerging

Technologies Affordances and teaching and learning interactions are all about

matching your teaching and learning tasks with the most appropriate educational technological tools in order to support the learning tasks and scaffolding the learning process (Bower, 2008).

It is of utmost importance when considering what technological tool we going to implement with our students, we need to consider how this technological tool will support the learning tasks, how the students will experience the use of this technology and how it will develop their learning process (Beetham, 2007).

Affordances of Emerging Technologies

The Educational Edition of Google Apps is free, it was built especially for schools, universities and non-profit organisations and does not require downloading new software or buying hardware (Oishi, 2007).

This is a major advantage as we know that students are always cash strapped and they can use their personal technology devices, whether it is a smartphone, laptop or tablet for their studies as well, no additional expense required (read-ability, write-ability and view-ability).


Using the google docs application is very easy and it allows us to share content, facilitate collaboration, allow peer review of academic materials and affords collective generation of knowledge (Educause Learning Initiative, 2008).

After liaising with the students, it was confirmed that everybody has a google account and everybody is comfortable of accessing such documents whilst studying and their fellow students in class will be able to assist them when they have questions regarding certain tasks loaded on google docs (accessibility).


Google docs has been recommended as an effective learning tool for aiding collaborative learning for students to co-construct knowledge as it allows interaction without any restrictions on time and space (Chu & Kennedy, 2011).

Each week I hand out a pack which comprises of the lecture slides, class examples and a set of 4 -5 past test/exam questions which they are required to work through on their own.

I will then also load the question pack on google docs, where students in their own time, work through the questions and then raise their concerns of the question at hand.


This will allow other students to comment/answer any of the concerns raised and at the same time allows them to interact with one another.

These google docs will also be saved for future references, so if students feel the need to revise they can relook at the comments noted on the google doc (view-ability, write-ability, playback-ability, browse-ability).


The Google docs application allows access from any computer and allows students/lecturers to collaborate by sharing a document with others as viewers or collaborators or by publishing it (Conner, 2008).

Google Docs supports synchronous editing and comment writing and saves versions of the document, options that afford real time collaborative learning.

90% of my students stay on the universities residence and have access to a computer/smartphone in their rooms.

This will assist them greatly when working through questions whilst studying in their rooms, but at the same time any questions they have can be answered immediately either by their classmates or by the lecturer.


This will save the students a lot of time as any concerns they have can be settled immediately instead of parking the question till the next day and raising it during the lecturer’s consultation times (move-ability, accessibility, write-ability, view-ability, read-ability).

A collaborative partnership, between the lecturer and the student, would provide the students the necessary guidance to help them move from their current cognitive level to higher understanding (Vygotsky, 1978).

After I have loaded the question packs for the topics I lectured, I will regularly review and monitor the questions/comments made by my students.


I can then ascertain whether students understood the principles lectured in class and whether they can correctly apply it to the questions they working with.

I can also comment on students reviews and direct them if needed or make sure their conclusions are in line

This will also help me identify the problem areas students are struggling with where I can then customise my revision sessions to the needs of the students’ problem areas identified from google docs (highlight-ability, focus ability).


By coming together and sharing learning experiences that extend beyond the walls of the classroom, we can therefore create opportunities to help students develop the tools they need to participate in any environment (Cormier & Siemens, 2010).

This will also allow them to become more confident in the work they do and be able to interact more confidently during lectures (speak-ability).

Description of Intervention To integrate information technology (IT) in a manner that will meet

both the criteria as set out in the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Competency Framework as well as incorporate an IT tool that will be of benefit to the students in preparation of their examinations.

My IT tool that I would like to implement with my group of students is Google docs. This would be a good platform to encourage students to use google docs as an e tool and to encourage the students to engage with the material on line.

Each week they receive an information pack of the topic we doing along with tutorials.

When they working through the tutorial they can then use google docs as a platform to ask questions on the tutorial/homework they are struggling with, then their classmates who has already done the tutorial can comment on the problem identified and provide a solution.

Description of Intervention The google doc is then automatically saved for other students that

have not worked through the specific question for future references.

This will assist students with their problems immediately, instead of waiting to consult with me the next day or during my consultation times.

After I have loaded the question packs for the topics I lectured, I will regularly review and monitor the questions/comments made by my student and facilitate the process.

I can then ascertain whether students understood the principles lectured in class and whether they can correctly apply it to the questions they working with. I can also comment on students reviews and direct them if needed or make sure their conclusions are in line with the principles taught and direct them accordingly.

This will also help me identify the problem areas students are struggling with where I can then customise my revision sessions to the needs of the students’ problem areas identified.

Key Points for Effective

Practice Digital technology can play an important role in the change in

higher education and as a result improve communication which could enhance the learning process through meaningful discussions (Veletsianos, 2011).

It is however important that students learn with technology to change from knowledge users (teacher-centered learning) to knowledge constructors (student-centered learning) (Jonassen, 2000).

The Educational Edition of Google Apps is free, it was built especially for schools, universities and non-profit organisations and does not require downloading new software or buying hardware (Oishi, 2007).

This is a major advantage as we know that students are always cash strapped and they can use their personal technology devices, whether it is a smartphone, laptop or tablet for their studies as well, no additional expense required (read-ability, write-ability and view-ability).

Key Points for Effective Practice

Google Docs’ is an application that is user friendly and allows us to share content. This allows to students to ask questions/comments whilst studying on their own and can be assisted by their fellow students immediately. (accessibility)

Google docs allows for participation between students, engagement and collaborative construction of knowledge between students themselves as well as with facilitators.

This allow other students to comment/answer any of the concerns raised and at the same time allows them to interact with one another.

These google docs will also be saved for future references, so if students feel the need to revise they can relook at the comments noted on the google doc (view-ability, write-ability, playback-ability, browse-ability).

Key Points for Effective Practice

Students could focus on areas they found challenging and they could highlight the areas they needed support or elaboration of fellow students and facilitators.

Google docs can be accessed from any computer/technology device. This will assist students greatly when working through questions whilst studying in their rooms, but at the same time any questions they have can be answered immediately either by their classmates or by the lecturer.

This will save the students a lot of time as any concerns they have can be settled immediately instead of parking the question till the next day and raising it during the lecturer’s consultation times (move-ability, accessibility, write-ability, view-ability, read-ability).

Conclusions and

Recommendations I was quite surprised on how eager my students were to start

implementing my planned intervention and it made me realise that technology should be welcomed with open arms.

It can be a great platform to teach and learn and it can definitely improve the learning process as a whole.

It also made me realise that the more students will be able to interact with the learning material loaded onto google docs, the more confident they will become in their work and as a result they will interact more confidently during lectures or/and during the revision lecturers of the learning material.

I have implemented a pilot google docs programme with a honours student/article clerk and one of my co-lecturers.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The test proved very successful as the following was noted: constructive questions were asked, applicable comments were made to the questions asked, it was a learning environment as only issued related to questions were asked and addressed.

Any concerns were addressed whilst the students were studying the specific question and as the lecturer I could identify areas that I could cover in my revision or follow up session with my students.

I have facilitated the process and asked probing questions so that the student could learn and implement the principles covered in class and at the same time identify good exam technique to be applied.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Both my colleague and the honours student/article clerk were very surprised at how well the google docs worked as a learning platform and excited to implement it with the class at large.

I have also learnt that digital technology can play an important role in the change in higher education and as a result improve communication which could enhance the learning process through meaningful discussions (Veletsianos, 2011).

It is however important that students learn with technology to change from knowledge users (teacher-centered learning) to knowledge constructors (student-centered learning) (Jonassen, 2000).

Additional InformationReferences:

Beetham, H. (2007). An approach to learning activity design. In: Beetham& Sharpe: Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: designing and delivering e-learning. Routledge: Taylor & Francis group.

Bower, M. (2008). Affordance analysis – matching learning tasks with learning technologies. Educational Media International, 45(1), 3 –15.

Chu, S.K.W. & Kennedy, D.M. (2011). Using online collaborative tools for groups to co-construct knowledge. Online Information Review, 35, 4, 581-597.

Cormier, D. & Siemens, G. (2010). The open course. Through the open door: open courses as reasearch, learning and engagement. Educause Review, July / August, 31-39.

Conner, N. (2008). Google Apps: The missing manual. O’Riley Media.

Educause Learning Initiative (2008). 7 things you should know about Google Apps. Retrieved September 12, 2008 from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EL17035.pdf

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EL17035.pdf

Additional InformationReferences continued:

Fraser, S. W. & Greenhalgh, T. (2001). Coping with complexity: educating for capability. British Medical Journal, 323, October, 799-803.

Graffam, B. (2007). Active learning in medical education: strategies for beginning implementation. Medical Teacher, 29, 1, 38-42.

Herrington, J. & Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48, 3, 23-48.

Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Computers as mindtools for schools. Engaging critical thinking. (2nd edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Pearson Education.

Justice, C., Rice, J., Warry, W., Inglis, S., Miller, S. & Sammon, S. (2007). Inquiry in higher education: reflections and directions on course design and teaching methods. Innovative Higher Education, 31, 4, 201-214.

Oishi, L. (2007). Working together: Google Apps goes to school. Technology & Learning 27(9), 46-47.

Additional InformationReferences continued:

Parker, K.R., & Chao, J.T. (2007). Wiki as a teaching tool. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 3, 57-72. http://www.ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p057-072Parker284.pdf

Ravid, G., Kalamn, Y.M., & Rafaeli, S. (2008). Wikibooks in higher education: Empowerment through online distributed collaboration. Computers in Human Behaviour, 24(5), 1913-1928.

Veletsianos, G. (2011). Designing opportunities for transformation with emerging technologies. Educational Technology, 51, 2, 41-46.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Please refer to the CASE STUDY for Extracts of Implementation of the Pilot Google Docs Programme with an Honours student/Article Clerk

http://www.ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p057-072Parker284.pdf

using google docs as an interactive learning tool

Education

saica competency framework

students perspective

examination set

chartered accountants

google docs

e tool

residents of uwc

little room