Fostering Collaboration via Google Apps

Educators in the state of Hawai’i currently use the Lotus Notes email host program as a method of communication and collaboration. One public elementary school in Hawai’i, on the island of Maui, is currently in the process of replacing Lotus Notes with Google Apps for Education. More than just an email system, web-based Google Apps for Education offers an easy way to share documents, work together virtually in real-time, and much more. Educators requested assistance on learning the basic necessary skills for Google Apps for Education, in particular on Gmail and Google Docs. To meet that need, an online training module was designed and delivered through a Weebly website that utilized an interactive tour, instructional videos, and step-by-step instructions with screenshots that are printable documents. Participants were asked to complete a challenge at the end of Module 1 & 2 as a way to reinforce and assess what was learned. Survey results indicated that all participants have considered using Gmail and Google Docs as a way to collaborate with their fellow colleague.

• Tami Saito, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA