Google Docs, Benefits and Disadvantages

The benefits of Google Docs in the classroom for the purposes of assignments, homework and extended writing task.

I have discussed Googles products before and how it can be used in the classroom as a free resource that can be utilized by the teacher and as well as the learner. In this post I will have a more in depth focus on Google Docs which consist of Docs, sheets, slides and forms. This is Google’s free online equivalents to Microsoft Office products such as Microsoft word, Excel and PowerPoint.

What one first has to understand about Google Docs is that it is a completely free online resource, anyone with a Google account can access these free services from Google. Google Docs works in conjunction with Google Drive, as anything you do in Docs, Sheets, Slides and forms are saved in your Google Drive.

Thus all your work in this platform of Google Docs is completely done online and accessible from virtually any device with internet capabilities. Whether you have a smart android phone or IPhone, be it a laptop or Tablet that has internet access, you are able to access your files and edit it as you please from anywhere in the world.

As I said the aim of this is to encourage the use of Google Docs for the use of assignments, homework and extended writing task, it does not have to stop here, there are various things Google Docs could be used for which is not listed in this blog post.

Google Docs would allow the learners to use it, to do their homework practically from anywhere, they could work in the car on their way to somewhere and be busy with their homework. This platform would give them mobility to do it on the go and not be stuck behind a desk to do their homework. They would be able to effortlessly swop between a laptop and smartphone. Given that there is internet access. This is a given for Google Sheets, Slides and forms.

It being an internet based resource the learner would be able to search for information as needed and integrate it into the document when needed. If the learners need to work together on an assignment the platform enables users to work simultaneously on one document. Thus the learners have no need to be in the same room or location to work together on an assignment offering more mobility for the users in corroborating on homework and assignments etc.

As it is part of the Google platform the learners can simply submit it to the teacher by emailing it in or sending it to her Google Drive, also via email. The email will capture information such as date and time thus the teacher will be able to tell if the assignment has met its dead line or if it’s overdue.

One huge disadvantage of using a Google platform in the classroom for assignments, homework and extended writing purposes is that it is reliant on technology completely, be it a Tablet, laptop or smartphone that the learner is using to access the internet. The internet as well , if the schools internet goes down or the learner at home does not have internet, then it poses huge problems to the productivity of the learners and teachers as Google docs, and drives exist in the “cloud” they always need an active internet connection to work with Google docs.

As we are in South Africa which has one of the world’s highest internet rates with little DSL penetration especially in rural areas this option might not be available for all schools, as certain schools does not even have functional computers labs which the learners might be able to utilize. Looking at the socio - economic circumstances of the learners attending the school one would have to take into consideration whether the parents could afford any one of the tools needed for their children to work with Google Docs. If that is a viable option for the learners.