This presentation covers the use of Google Applications for Education (GAFE) to support student centered eLearning. Particular reference is made to collaborative learning, learning portfolios and personal learning networks.

1. Dr Iain Doherty
Director, eLearning Pedagogical Support Unit
Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
30th July 2013
The University of Hong Kong

2. » What Does Moodle Offer?
» What is Google Apps For Education (GAFE)?
» What Can Individual Teachers Do with Google
Applications?
˃Part One
» What Can Individual Teachers Do with Google
Applications?
˃Part Two
» What Are The Potential Downsides?

3. Moodle can be thought of
pretty much as a teacher-
centric environment.
Where is the student
in all of this?

4. To be fair to Moodle, students
can and do have a presence:
» Discussion forums
» Wiki exercises
» Database activities
» Blogs
» Poll
» Survey

5. However, what happens when
we think of students authoring
content and / or maintaining a
portfolio of their learning?
Moodle does not do so well here and we
need to look to alternatives to provide
students with an environment in which they
can be authors and architects of their own
learning.

6. Google Apps For Education (GAFE)
is an enterprise level “software”
solution for cloud based
collaborative teaching and learning.
Applications include but are not limited to Google
Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides,
Google Sites, Gmail and Calendar.
Many more applications in the Google Market Place.

7. » An educational institution signs up with
Google Apps for Education and is issued with
a unique domain name.
» Signing up is easy and Google Apps For
Education is free.
» The institution then has administrative control
over the domain.

8. » The dashboard provides the
administrator with control over
e.g. analytics, appearance,
access (or not) to the various
Google Apps.
» GAFE is controlled from an
administrative dashboard.
» However, security etc. is the
responsibility of Google and they
spend a lot more money on
security than any higher
education institution.

9. » There’s more . . . Google are
committed to a future of cloud
based computing.
» Google Apps are available on any
device, anywhere, anytime.
» This means that the user’s content
is always accessible.
» Finally, collaboration can occur on any
device, anywhere, anytime.

10. “The world [students] encounter in higher education
. . . is hierarchical, substantially introvert, guarded,
careful, precise and measured . . . [Students] aren’t
demanding different approaches; rather they are
making such adaptations as are necessary for the
time it takes to gain their qualifications. Effectively,
they are managing a disjuncture, and the situation is
feeding the natural inertia of any established system.
It is, however, unlikely to be sustainable in the long
term” (JISC, 2009).

11. » Google Apps facilitates student centered
collaborative learning in a cloud based environment
rich with possibilities.
» We can help to prepare our students for their place
in the 21st Century workforce.
» This is 21st Century learning and the future is now.

12. » We want our students to be active learners engaging at
a deep level with course content, with one another and
with the teacher.
» Google Apps are not necessary for this – deep
engagement can occur face to face – but Google Apps
facilitate collaborative learning activities.
» Google Apps also present different possibilities e.g.
media rich interactive presentations.

14. Google Apps For Education
Google Drive
Google Docs
Nicky’s presentation

16. The portfolio can
include both their
learning and their
reflections on
their learning
Students can
maintain a
portfolio of their
learning
The portfolio can
provide evidence
of achievement
for employability
(Konsky, 2012)
The portfolio can
provide the
foundation for life
long learning
The world of education may be
changing with e.g. MOOC
Certificates becoming evidence of
achievement
Coursera
edX
Badges as evidence of
learning
Mozilla Badges
Envision a future where the
personal portfolio is of
paramount importance for
employment

17. Google Apps For Education
A Portfolio
Nicky’s presentation

18. Following on from the idea
that the way that
knowledge is produced,
circulated and consumed
has changed radically, GAFE
can function as a Personal
Learning Environment
(PLE).
A Personal Learning
Environment is a visual
representation of the
environment in which the
learner learns – formal and
informal.

19. In the last five years, the twin
concepts of the personal
learning environment (PLE) and
personal learning network
(PLN) have been offered as
alternatives to more traditional
environments such as the
learning management system
(LMS) and institutionally-based
courses. During that time, a
substantial body of research
has been produced by
thinkers, technologists and
practitioners in the field.
Dozens of
studies, reviews, conference
presentations, concept papers
and diagrams are now
available.
PLENK 2010

20. “Being aware of the learning
environment that
encourages and motivates
you the most to study and
increase your own
knowledge is not always a
matter of course. Finding
the best possible learning
environment, tools and
strategies to get your
learning process in to a
higher level may take a lot
of time and effort, but once
you have found your own,
learning can give you much
more of itself”.
My Personal Learning Environment

21. When our staff and students
could all enjoy a centralized
platform to participate in e-
learning, we heard students at
other institutions complained
about logging into different
systems for different courses.
The one and only “controlled”
environment gained popularity
- adoption rate leaped from
45% to 69% of all courses
between 2004 and 2006. On
the other hand, the world wide
web (www) continues to
evolve, so does the e-learning
environment of a CityU
student.
eLearning Environment of a CityU
Student (Learning Beyond Blackboard)

22. Google Apps For Education
A Personal Learning Environment
Nicky’s presentation

23. » You can make use of Google Apps if you
have a Google Account.
» Google runs a site to keep users informed
about Google Apps.
» There are other options but Google Apps
provides a one stop shop for cloud based
collaborative learning.

24. » There will be
concerns over data
privacy even though
Google have a clear
privacy policy.
» There will be concerns over ownership of data
but Google are clear that “users” own the data.
» Security will be an issue but Google can spend
more on security than just about any organization
in the world.

25. » Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner
Experience. (2009). Higher Education in a Web
2.0 World. Bristol: Committee of Inquiry into the
Changing Learner Experience.
» Joint Information Systems Committee. (2009).
Effective Assessment in a Digital Age: A Guide to
Technology Enhanced Assessment and Feedback.
Retrieved from
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/progra
mmes/elearning/digiassass_eada.pdf

26. » Joint Information Systems Committee. (2008).
Effective Practice in a Digital Age: A Guide to
Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching. Joint
Information Systems Committee. Retrieved from
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/eff
ectivepracticedigitalage.aspx
» Konsky, B. R. Von, & Oliver, B. (2012). The
iPortfolio˃: Measuring Uptake and Effective
Use of an Institutional Electronic Portfolio in
Higher Education. Australasian Journal of
Educational Technology, 28(1), 67–90. Retrieved
from
http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet28/vonkons
ky.pdf