Demonstrator

Josh Underwood

College

IOE

Stakeholder Group

Research Staff

Demonstrator Project Name

Advanced Online Collaboration.

Project Start Date

August 2008.

Project Length

(days, weeks, months)

4 months.

Participants Involved
(job titles where relevant)

Joshua Underwood (Research Officer at LKL), colleagues at LKL and in other institutions on current research projects. Participants in research experiments that use Google Docs. Currently sharing research related Google Docs with around 30 collaborators.

Brief Description of the project
(Aims and Objectives)

- Explore opportunities for improving collaboration in research teams.

- Explore the use of Google Docs to support capturing and sharing data and data analysis across schools and other participants in science learning.

How will Google Docs help with your project?
(i.e to use the Form to collect data from surveys, Presentation to display information, Word Processor to share formal documents, brain storm ideas etc)

We have used and are using forms to collect data from experiments. We are using spreadsheets to track project dissemination activities and publications and documents to do shared writing for papers and report writing. We have also experimented with using Google Docs presentations, co-authoring conference presentations etc.

What is the plan of engagement?
(What needs to happen when and who needs to do what)

We are using Google Docs in a variety of ways to support research collaboration on two projects already. We need to continue identifying productive ways of using Google Docs to support our research work and encourage other members of our research teams to use Docs.

What project outcomes do you expect?
(i.e creating documents collaboratively with staff and students in more effective ways; to bridge the technological gap between students and staff)

More effective editing of documents by many authors (when we are sharing document authorship amongst 3 or 4 people we tend to use email but with more than this number Google Docs seems more efficient).

Spreadsheets & Forms for data collection from many participants (10 to 100s) over long periods of time (months).

What encouraged you to take part in this project?

Recommendation by colleagues, opportunity to discuss possible uses of Google Docs with others, synergy with on going research work.

What sort of support will you need to make this project a success?

Training depending on opportunities identified to use Google Docs in new ways.

Information about new features in Google Docs.

What sort of support do you think the participants will need to make this project a success?

Some participants may need training if using new features.