Google docs used in-class...

I was recently alerted to the use of Google docs as a very useful resource for collaborative or group note-taking or activities.

I wanted to describe our use of it as part of a jigsaw (or this link) activity. They prepared outside of class as pre-work to discuss the role of three physical processes (shocks from structure formation, stellar feedback, and AGN feedback) in setting the properties of the hot gas between galaxies. They then discussed that in their three expert groups for ~15 minutes. We then split into three mixed groups, and they taught each other about the importance of their physical mechanisms and then together answered some questions that brought together the different threads.

We used Google docs in this last mixed-group part; a representative from each group typed up their discussion on a page that I had pre-prepared with the questions and 'shared' with them (one page per group, so three identical pages in the google doc; this is good because then they can edit in peace and not be fighting constantly over editing). Then we brought the groups together and we talked through some of the stickier issues together.

What were the effects of using Google Docs here?

• The interaction between the students was much less spontaneous, there was a lot more silence or just one person talking as people typed stuff in. This was a weird dynamic, that we hadn't had before during group discussions, and I was a little perturbed by it. I don't know that this is enough to outweigh the disadvantages, but it is definitely a minus of this idea.
• There were permanent records of their thoughts; they after class told me that this aspect was very valuable.
• I monitored the document as it built up, and I could insert comments, etc, to help guide the groups in their discussion of an issue. This was kind of cool, it was a different way of being able to simultaneously interact with all the groups.
• The use of one page per group allows them to build up their group answers without too much outside influence. When I've used this in faculty development classes where there are multiple groups per page, there are weird edit wars and you spend little time talking and a lot of time looking at other people in other groups typing in answers.
• They were able to read quickly over the contributions from the other groups at the start of the wrap-up, and this rapidly got them onto the same page, helped clarify some issues that other groups had understood well, and elevated the wrap-up to issues that they all had challenges with.
• I was able to then edit the document after class, inserting some clarifications or other thoughts. I don't know if this was thought to be valuable, but I think it might be, as after group discussions they are often nervous about whether they know the 'right' answer or just what each other thought.

To summarize, it seemed to me that some of the biggest disadvantages of the jigsaw (no or fragmentary records of what was discussed, everyone's anxiety about different groups having reached different stages of understanding, lack of an instructor-blessed right answer) were partially alleviated by use of Google docs as a collaborative tool, at the (perhaps considerable) cost of the spontaneity of the activity.

[update : we have used this again in class for the same purpose. This time it was more natural, as everyone was used to it, there was less loss of spontaneity of the activity (but still some loss). I am noticing though that there is no real activity on this after class, i.e., there is little engagement with the document after class finishes, except for things that I add. I might try to figure out how to encourage this.]