46,610 research outputs found
Using Google Docs to enhance graduate-level distance education
No full textGoogle Docs was used successfully in a graduate level class to support collaboration, student engagement, and sharing. The synergy generated clearly improved the learning experience of the students. This research describes the results of using Google Docs and suggests best practices on how this Web 2.0 technology could be used.1
Using Google Docs to Enhance Graduate-Level Distance Education
Les Pang
University of Maryland University College
Graduate School of Management and Technology Abstract Google Docs was used successfully in a graduate level class to support collaboration, student engagement, and sharing. The synergy generated clearly improved the learning experience of the students. This research describes the results of using Google Docs and suggests best practices on how this Web 2.0 technology could be used. Introduction
This paper examines utilizing Google Docs to support distance education classroom activities in a graduate level course. It is of value to instructors and administrators who want to enhance course delivery through increased collaboration and sharing capabilities. This topic is important to maximize student engagement, thereby improving learning and increasing student retention.
Google Docs is a form of cloud computing -- a technology which uses remote computing resources such as servers to provide services to user; whereas, traditionally, these services are delivered via local computing resources such as the users’ hard disk. One flavor of cloud computing involves “software as a service” in which the software application and the files generated by the application reside not on the local hard disk but totally online -- in the Internet “cloud.”
Google Docs is a popular “cloud-based” office suite consisting of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications where users can create, edit and store documents completely online. An important feature is that the suite has unique collaboration capabilities where multiple users can edit shared online documents in either synchronously or asynchronously.
Applications
Google Docs was used in a graduate class as the platform for various activities. The course is Information Technology Foundations (ITEC610). This is the course description:
A fundamental study of technology and its applications, as well as the economic and social issues they have raised. Topics include computers, peripherals, databases and networks; operations (of business, government and other enterprises), decision support systems and acquisition of information technology resources; and information security, productivity, equitable access by users, intellectual property rights and global reach. Discussion also covers current and future developments in the field and their implications.
Students were generally working adults with a solid background on computer technology. 2
The activities involving the use of Google Docs included:
Team research projects and presentations with “single document” peer editing
Blogging (Google Blogger)
Student surveys (Mid-semester course feedback)
Voting and consensus team building
Brainstorming
Signup sheets
Findings
Based on survey feedback from the students (using Google Docs), they generally appreciated the advantages of Google Docs but some had issues. The following advantages were noted:
Easy to access and collaborate
Less local computing resources required
Low learning curve for basic functions
Can access files via any Internet-linked machine
Revision history and ability to revert to an earlier version
Compatibility with different operating systems
Provided at no cost
Students noted several disadvantages:
Lacks advanced capabilities such as mail merging, macros and multiple toolbars.
Potential for editing conflicts among different collaborators.
Formatting was sometimes difficult such as reference lists.
Navigation issues because buttons and links were in unexpected locations.
Certain shared applications are more conducive on paper such as a detailed sketch.
Software is unavailable when the site is down or Internet connectivity cannot be achieved.
Limited bandwidth resulted in delays in having editing changes appear.
Concerns over security and privacy – exposure of personal information.
From the academic perspective, there were several concerns:
Possible exposure of intellectual property.
Lack of branding (no mention of the university in the work space)
No control over the cloud application or hardware
Several best practices were identified:
Establish strict ground rules for entry and editing to avoid editing conflicts.
Provide basic training in using the software.
Use workarounds such as saving specially formatted text as an image and pasting it into the document.
Be careful not to post confidential or sensitive information particularly in collaborative mode. Learn and use the security features of Google Docs. 3
Overall, this approach addressed the pedagogical requirements of engagement and collaboration. In addition, graduate level teaching requires higher order thinking such as synthesis, analysis and critical thinking. Google Docs supported these themes exceedingly well and helped promote the notion that the university applying this approach is a cutting edge institution from a technological perspective.
Current Effort and Next Step
Google Docs is being used for course development purposes during the summer 2011 semester. Instructors were invited to participate in the update of the online content for ITEC 610, specifically the weekly lecturettes that supplement the readings. The collaborative nature of the platform supports this approach for gathering knowledge. But, more importantly, because of the nature of information technology, the use of Google Docs was considered the optimum approach for developing and maintaining this often changing content.
Another proposed action is to utilize Google Docs and Google Apps that is found in many mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android phones in order to deliver content such as the lecturettes, assignments, videos and other learning objects. There are apps available that facilitate the use of Google Docs on this media such as iGoogDocs.
Conclusions
As described above, Google Docs was used successfully in online classes. One student commented: “I'm starting to see more and more how powerful Google Docs can be as a collaborative tool between geographically separated users.” Cloud computing may just be a buzzword today, but through this classroom experience, it was shown that it offers a new and better tool for teaching and collaboration.
Reference List
Adams, D. (2008). Gaga for Google in the twenty-first century advanced placement language classroom. The Clearing House, 82(2), 96-100.
Desisto, R., Plummer, D., & Smith, D.M. (2008, April 7). Tutorial for understanding the relationship between cloud computing and SaaS. Retrieved March 1, 2011, from Gartner database.
iGoogDocs website. Retrieved May 1, 2011 from http://sites.google.com/site/igoogdocs/
Knorr, E., & Gruman, G. (2008). What cloud computing really means. InfoWorld. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/07/15FE-cloud-computing-reality_1.html
Natis, Y., Gall, N., Cearley, D., Leong, L., Desisto, R., Lheureux, B., Smith, D. M., & Plummer, D. (2008). Cloud, SaaS, hosting and other off-premises computing models. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from Gartner database. 4
UMUC. Course Descriptions – Graduate School of Management and Technology. Retrieved May 1, 2011 from http://www.umuc.edu/programs/grad/courses/iteccat.shtml.
Young, J. (2008). 3 ways that web-based computing will change colleges—and challenge them. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(10), A16
"Holiday reflection" radio episode
No full textAn audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on the topic of reflection during the holiday season and counting one's blessings. AuCoin references an essay by an unknown author on the global ratios of poverty, ethnicity, religion, wealth, and education. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired from December 2001-2003
"Chainsaw Choo Choo" radio episode
No full textAn audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on a then recent Oregon forest report. Douglas County requested and paid for the report, led by researcher of Oregon State University School of Forestry, John Sessions. AuCoin points out how Sessions is a civil and forest engineer, not a wildfire scientist, and was seemingly unqualified to author the report. AuCoin states that the best approach to generating healthy forests is by natural recovery. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2003
"Oregon jobs report" radio episode
No full textAn audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on the findings of a recent Oregon jobs report. AuCoin quotes author Studs Terkel, who stated that "work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread." He also cites the comments of policy analyst Michael Leachman on the downturn in Oregon jobs. AuCoin goes on to list the findings of the report and what it means for future generations. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired between 2003- 2004
PANG: Pattern-Based Anomaly Detection in Graphs
No full textPang (Pattern-Based Anomaly Detection in Graphs) is an algorithm which represents and classifies a collection of graphs according to their frequent patterns (subgraphs). The detail of this algorithm are described in the below article. This work was conducted in the framework of the DeCoMaP ANR project (Detection of corruption in public procurement markets -- ANR-19-CE38-0004)
PANG: Pattern-Based Anomaly Detection in Graphs
No full textPang (Pattern-Based Anomaly Detection in Graphs) is an algorithm which represents and classifies a collection of graphs according to their frequent patterns (subgraphs). The detail of this algorithm are described in the below article. This work was conducted in the framework of the DeCoMaP ANR project (Detection of corruption in public procurement markets -- ANR-19-CE38-0004)
Pricing Interest Rate Exotics in Multi-Factor Gaussian Interest Rate Models
Get PDFFor many interest rate exotic options, for example options on the slope of the yield curve or American featured options, a one factor assumption for term structure evolution is inappropriate. These options derive their value from changes in the slope or cuvature of the yield curve and hence are more realistically priced with multiple factor models. However, efficient construction of short rate trees becomes computationally intractable as we increase the number of factors and in particular as we move to non-Markovian models. In this paper we describe a general framework for pricing a wide range of interest rate exotic options under a very general family of multi-factor Gaussian interest rate models. Our framework is based on a computationally efficient implementation of Monte Carlo integration utilising analytical approximations as control variates. These techniques extend the analysis of Clewlow, Pang and Strickland [1997] for pricing interest rate caps and swaptions.
Towards Overset LES for Aeroacoustic Source Prediction
No full textIn this contribution an application of a computational aeroacoustics code (CAA) as a hybrid Zonal DNS tool is presented. The here used hybrid approach is based on a novel implementation of the Non-Linear Perturbation Equations (NLPE) extended with viscous terms, denoted as overset since a perturbation analysis is performed on top of a background flow. It is found that Direct Noise Computation results of a cylinder in uniform flow show the dipolar sound radiation characteristic as well as the expected decay of sound pressure level with distance. The extension to LES is illustrated with isotropic decaying turbulence, where the expected -5/3 slope of the reference DNS data is recovered with the LES employing the classical Smagorinsky model
Compte rendu : Ma Rong, Pang Naigu, "The Tibetan population and their geographic distribution in China"
No full textCompte rendu : Revue bibliographique de sinologie, XIII, 1995, 78 : Ma Rong, Pang Naigu, "The Tibetan population and their geographic distribution in China", Tibetan Studies, Oslo, 1994, 507-516
Compte rendu : Ma Rong, Pang Naigu, "The Tibetan population and their geographic distribution in China"
No full textCompte rendu : Revue bibliographique de sinologie, XIII, 1995, 78 : Ma Rong, Pang Naigu, "The Tibetan population and their geographic distribution in China", Tibetan Studies, Oslo, 1994, 507-516
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