Google Docs, You Make Me Crazy

What was I expecting to get for free?  The truth is, I had no idea what to expect, but the hype around Google Docs offering open source tools to everyone at no cost was great.  Among the benefits are the ability to upload and create word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation file types, access your files from anywhere, the capacity to store a fairly large amount of information, the capability of sharing those files with others while keeping everyone else locked out, and a facility to create folders for organizing those files.

I will be honest and say that I was not expecting the serious troubles I had with reformatting the uploaded document I had already meticulously set up in strict APA style.  I think the process would have been the same—that is, the same amount of editing effort would be required—if I had uploaded raw data.  Being familiar with formatting features in Microsoft Word was helpful, although I had to figure out some differences between Word and the word processor in Google Docs.  This was not a process I would like to do on a routine basis.

In addition, when working in the Google Docs word processing application, it is difficult to position your insertion point in the right place.  It looks like it is blinking in one place, but when making edits, I found that I was adding or deleting characters where I did not intend. 

Lastly, there were a number of server and other errors during upload, as well as with applying some of the formats (I almost forgot about them).  I am unsure of the causes, but with all of the problems I encountered, my time to deal with the document was extended by about 15 minutes—precious time I could have spent on working on another assignment.

Why is Wikipedia so Popular?

Wikipedia has become a phenomenon, but I have not definitively figured out why.  It could be that it is free, or that it has a catchy name.  Maybe the appeal comes from the massive amount of information that can be found there on just about any topic, or the point that anyone—mostly amateurs—can go add an article, or change the articles that exist on the site.  All of these are facts about using Wikipedia, but the problem is that not everything found on Wikipedia is a fact.

I have often gone to Wikipedia as a source of information, probably due to its high ranking in Google searches, but I have never considered using it as a source for a research paper.  As a starting point for gathering information, it has value.  Yet, when considering that I can create an article on any topic whether I know the details or not, I am reluctant to use it for much more than that.  The ability to make up details is reminiscent of the urban legends passed around in e-mailboxes of the world.  One simply cannot trust it completely for accuracy.  Nevertheless, it is growing in size and popularity every day.

So, could it be the fact that it is a “green” method of sharing information?  I know that I recently tried to drop off my full set of Funk & Wagnall’s (circa 1991) at the local Goodwill donation center and the attendant refused to take them, even though encyclopedias were not yet on the list of items they do not accept.  Or, is it the instant gratification that people have become so addicted to?  After all, information is updated on Wikipedia at a dizzying rate.

My sense is that the reason Wikipedia has become one of the most popular websites is for all of the reasons suggested here.  My hope is that the most gullible among us will not lose their life's savings in any wager based on the information found there.

Wiki of Web 2.0

I will admit that I was not excited about using a wiki at first with having to dive in to so many new things at once—blogging, Skype, Facebook, GoogleDocs—it was all a bit daunting, and being a Web 2.0 latecomer certainly did not help.  Initially, the wiki seemed to be a chaotic workspace with everyone adding and editing at the same time, but I gradually came to appreciate certain benefits of using a wiki as a learning tool, one of which is ease of use.

Wikis can be a great way to collaborate on group projects that require a number of individuals to contribute to the composition or completion of a document, or for simply collecting and sharing learning resources, as my cohort did.  In each one’s own time and space, documents and comments may be added to the wiki and modified as needed to enhance project outcomes.  In this way, everyone also has an opportunity to learn from one another. This approach to constructing a work product makes it easy for a group to take advantage of the strengths and talents of individual group members.

Phillipson’s wiki taxonomy (as cited in Caverly, & Ward, 2008) offers some insight on additional ways to use a wiki in a learning environment.  In addition to the resource and presentation wikis mentioned above, a gateway wiki is identified to enable discussion and/or debate about a set of data, which may include offering support in varying forms for individuals’ views and conclusions.  This differs from a forum in that various media can be incorporated, and is an important way that students can collectively construct their own understanding about a topic, rather than relying solely on a professor.

As educators increase the use of wikis for collaborative learning, it may become more challenging to determine how to evaluate individuals for their participation and input (Trentin, 2009).  Grading fairly should remain a priority, especially for group projects.

One additional observation is that wikis have the potential of staying in perpetual disarray.  Without some ground rules and a commitment among collaborators, it could become difficult to maintain order.  Thankfully, in the case with my cohort’s first wiki, order emerged.

Caverly, D. C., & Ward, A. (Winter, 2008). Techtalk: Wikis and collaborative knowledge construction. Journal of Developmental Education, 32(2), 36-37.

Trentin, G. (2009). Using a wiki to evaluate individual contribution to a collaborative learning project. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(1), 43-55. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2008.00276.x