This document describes a case study where Google Apps were used to facilitate a real-world linguistics promotion project led by students. The project aimed to both promote linguistics to prospective students and provide an authentic learning experience for current students. Google Sites was used to create the project website, while Google Docs and Google+ Hangouts supported collaboration. The project helped students develop employability skills and allowed ongoing feedback and assessment. Both students and academics viewed the project as an effective way to motivate learning and provide an authentic assessment through a practical, student-led project.

1. Google Apps in Learning & Teaching:
A Case Study
All About Linguistics.
Gary C. Wood
School of English, University of Sheffield
g.c.wood@sheffield.ac.uk
@GC_Wood | +GaryWood84
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Introduction…
 Employability skills
 Teamwork & Collaboration
 Negative evaluation
(Thorley & Gregory 1994)
 Focus on content over
skills.

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The issue…
 Learning by Doing
 Scaffolding and support is
required
 Key problems:
 Time and place
 Different
standards/expectations
 Motivation.

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Solutions…
 Teach students skills!
 Employer involvement
(Jamieson et al 2012)
 Authentic learning
through a real world
project – a more practical
alternative?

5. What
we did…
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 Lack of understanding of
what linguistics is
 Need to equip students
with digital literacy skills
 Groupwork problems.
Real-
world problems…

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 Assessment through
a real project
 Promote linguistics
to prospective
students
What
we did…

8. Overall Winner
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How we
did it…

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 Google Sites:
 Page-level permissions
 Integrated features
(YouTube, soundclips,
and others).
How we
did it…

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 Project Management:
 Google Docs
 Google+ Hangouts
How we
did it…

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 Launch Event &
Evaluation:
 Google Docs Forms
How we
did it…

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Authentic learning
 Consider
real stakeholders
 Work to
real deadlines
 Challenged with
project management

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Embedded enterprise
 Students demonstrated
a wide range of
enterprise skills
ambition
creativity
tenacity
initiative
making connections
confidence
teamwork
innovationleadership
adaptability
negotiation
owning actions
problem-solving
self-beliefstrategic thinking
networking
risk-taking

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Student
support…
 Creative Media Team:
 Video/audio production
 Equipment
 Supporting students
 Ad hoc one-to-ones.

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Student
support…
 Copyright
 Students’ biggest worry
 Greatest training need
 Mistakes are public.

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The integration of Apps helps solve problems
and facilitate success in intuitive ways.

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They enabled a practical and transferrable
approach to student-led learning and
authentic assessment.

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They empowered students to raise their
standards and to become self-motivated.

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The end result of the assessment is genuinely
useful and is enhancing the School’s profile.

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Working online allows continuous feedback,
assessment and monitoring, and cross-group
collaboration.

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Academic’s view…
 Very effective solution:
 Technology facilitated real-world project
 Motivated students (Fazey & Fazey et al 2001)
 Creative freedom increased students’ perceived control
 Google Tools increased perceived competence for the task
 Enhanced potential for autonomous learning

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What the
students think…

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 Wikipedia like – enhancement/expansion by future students:
 New topics in linguistics
 Expansion of accessibly-presented research
 Community to engage audience and provide interaction.
 Further use of Google Apps in the School
The future…

25. awesome
trust
freedomopportunity
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students with
, ,&
them,
and they’ll show you how
they can be.
Empower
tools
A final thought…

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 How might you use
Google Sites?
 Who would your
audience be?
Your turn…!

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 Work in small groups (3-5)
 Think of an area of your teaching in which you could use Google
Sites
 Create a page on the session site to share your ideas
 Google username and password provided
 Edit page with your group number
 Be creative – images, videos, etc.
 Some ideas are already available on the site if you need inspiration!
Your turn…!

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Review
& Questions…