From the list of topics on Classroom 2.0 I chose to follow a discussion on collaborative documents. I was interested in the topic because of my recent introduction to GoogleDocs in the course of our classwork. The definition of collaborative documents is as follows: documents that are a collaboration, i.e. the work of more than one individual. With regard to Classroom 2.0, the discussions on collaborative documents is primarily a discussion of particular web sites that allow numerous people to work on the same document at the same time.
The discussion I followed centered primarily around specific web sites and their respective features. GoogleDocs was by far the site that was cited most often. On the whole, most users seemed to like GoogleDocs. Some of the pluses to GoogleDocs include the simplicity of use and the fact that concurrent editing is allowed. Another site that was mentioned was YouFig. This particular site has some great features, as well as some limitations. While using YouFig the document you are editing appears in one frame while a discussion on your particular topic or document appears in another frame. Additionally, with YouFig it is possible to see and compare different versions of the document. The biggest limitation to YouFig is that there is no concurrent editing, the document appears locked while someone else is editing it. Other sites mentioned include ThinkFree, ScribbleWiki and ZohoWriter.
The primary benefits to collaborative document web sites is the ability to work on a document from anywhere, with anyone. This is beneficial to both students and educators. The primary advantage to just emailing recent changes around between a group of collaborators is the assurance that everyone is working on the most current version of the document at all times.
The only downside to the use of collaborative document sites in the classroom seems to be the fact that many school districts do not allow them. Some in the discussion speculated that this may be because collaborators are often allowed to "chat" while inside the document. This may be addressed by using a specific form of Google applications designed for use in an educational setting. With this specific application, ads can be turned off, a shared contact list is created for all addresses using a school domain name and collaboration is only allowed for those within that specific school domain.
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2 comments:
Great picture! I too am a dog lover and before by daughetr's birth, I considered my dog Lucy my first daughter. Reading your comments about Collaborative Documents in your Week #9 posting demonstrates that you have taken this subject and have ran with it. Great to see that your enthusiasm for that specific tool has lured you to educate yourself as much as you have on the topic.
Hi:
I really enjoyed your comments on collaborative documents. It is very clear and concise about the strong points, as well a few of the weak points. Your comments on the use of collaborative documents indicate to me that there is now efficient software available. The ability to work anywhere at anytime with revisions and versions is amazing. The old technique of tracking changes was cumbersome at best. Now this ability to collaborate with multiple writers anywhere is amazing. The added dimension of easily observing changes and versions is wonderful. Thank you for a clear article that inspires a jaded user to consider collaborative documents in a new light. I enjoyed the assignment with GoogleDocs, because it allows for a level sharing/editing that I have wished for over the years.
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