Presentation used at OU Region 3 staff development event held at the University of Exeter on 27th November, 2010

1. Nigel Gibson – November 2010

2. Who are we?
• Quick intros

3. Objective
• To look at the tools being made available to us
• To exchange some ideas about how they might be
used
–We’ll try to make something!
• To point out some useful resources that you can check
out later

4. Constraints
• I don’t know how specific modules might use them
• I don’t know how they might be developed
• If I list everything I don’t know we’ll be here forever......

5. Process
• I’ll show some slides explaining the background
–(Death by PowerPoint – you know it makes sense!)
• Then we’ll play with some online stuff
• We’ll create a resource for reference
• Or, if the connection falls over, I’ll try to explain things
using the medium of interpretive dance

6. The online stuff
• Will be on my Google account as I don’t have access
through TutorHome yet

7. • This is the graveyard shift – and it’s 90 minutes
(I’ve had relationships which didn’t last as long!)

8. So.............
• I’ll try to keep things moving but if you do fall asleep
please don’t snore

9. Context
• As part of the VLE development the OU has joined with
Google to provide some applications
• Google will also be providing student email accounts

10. What will I get?
• Calendar
• Talk (IM Chat)
• Documents
–Word processor
–Spreadsheets
–Presentations
–Drawings
• Sites
http://learn.open.ac.uk/file.php/4450/!via/resourcepage/65902761/4450/moddata/resourcepage/2010-09-22-GoogleAppsToolset.pdf

11. When will I get it?
http://learn.open.ac.uk/file.php/4450/!via/resourcepage/64568819/4450/moddata/resourcepage/GAppsAdoption-simplified.pdf

12. Overarching principles
• Available wherever an internet connection can be made
• Can be accessed on some mobile devices

13. Let’s look at the tools - Calendar
• Can be synchronised with other calendars (Outlook and
others) and import/export CSV files
• Integrate with other online tools such as “Remember
the milk” and weather forecast

14. Calendar

15. Let’s look at the tools - Talk

16. Let’s look at the tools - Documents
• Can be written online from scratch
• Can be uploaded from local application
• Can be downloaded in the appropriate formats
• Share with individuals with read-only or full edit rights
• Coming soon.... Can be automatically synchronised
with changes to local documents, i.e. Press “Save” in
Word and the version on Google is updated too (Cloud
Connect)

17. File formats

18. Document types
• Word processor
• Spreadsheet
• Presentation
• Form
• Drawing

19. Let’s look at the tools - Sites
• Create your own web sites very quickly
• Useful for supporting specific events, i.e. Tutorials
• Can be used as a way of aggregating resources

20. Summary
• Lots of new toys
• Some might be of use
• Any questions so far?