[Air-L] Google Docs

[Gordon Carlson]

Hello All,

As a strong supporter of embracing new technological opportunities,
especially online, I am also a strong supporter of privacy and
protection within the classroom.

This throws up a red flag for me and would like to know what others
think.  Having students use Google Docs requires them to have a Google
account, correct?  If so, what are the implications of students
engaging in sharing account names, real names, and email addresses
that are not provided by the institution?  Moreover, this requires a
student to join with a corporate venture (I do realize Google accounts
are low risk but please keep reading) and to engage in providing
documents in a quasi-public setting that includes their names and
associated accounts.

I have heard of other faculty requiring students to sign up for blogs
and Facebook accounts to use and learn about the technology.  I
actually agree with the sentiment, but is there a grey area here in
having students employ third-party information sharing tools,
especially the very ones that we would like to study because they are
so large and of public interest.  It just seems scary to me when we
have students either use personal accounts or create new ones in
systems that are somewhat public or perhaps vulnerable.  Perhaps we
should limit this sort of online collaboration to institution provided
and supported systems.  Our comfort with these systems isn't
necessarily proof that everyone should be using them.

What do you all think?

-Gordon




On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 12:18 AM, Charlie Balch <charlie at balch.org> wrote:
> For those of you who are not aware, Google Docs are a free service from
> Google that allows multiple authors to collaborate synchronously or
> asynchronously. There a word processor, a spreadsheet, and presentation
> package. While not as full featured as MS Office both the feature more meet
> most needs.
>
> I've been fascinated with Google Docs and am looking for more ways to use
> them more in the classroom. So far I have students working tip sheets
> together and a group exercise where students enter in the names of various
> pizza parlors then vote on them by placing their name in the same row.
>
> How are others using Google Docs.
>
> Thanks,
> Charles Balch Ph.D.
> Professor of CIS
> Arizona Western College
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
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