Journal 7: Collaborative Documentation

Collaborative documents are online applications that allow for the creation and revising of documents, spreadsheets, and presentationware. These documents can be used for individual use (to edit, save, store, and compare document versions), or group use (to edit, contribute, share, or publish documents). I learned from the threaded discussions the various collaborative document applications, their uses, and their pros and cons. Teachers use document sharing to build and refine curriculums, prepare lessons via collaborative document sharing, and have virtual meetings. Students can use document sharing to do both group and individual work. Students can write research papers together, prepare for student presentations, track their document versions, collaborate on work, store their work safely, and share their work with the people they choose (ie: teachers, other students, etc).


1. What are the applications available for collaborative documents?

There are 5 main collaborative document applications mentioned on the Classroom 2.0 website. The applications are:

GoogleDocs (http://docs.google.com)
GoogleDocs allows you to create documents from scratch, such as bulleted lists, sorting by columns, adding tables, images, comments, formulas, changing fonts, and more. You can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online. You can also upload your existing files in more popular file formats. You can then edit, collaborate, and share these projects. It’s free!

YourDraft (http://yourdraft.com)
Your Draft is a WYSWYG online editor, which allows you to save and share and publish as documents as HTML. Others can either read or edit your page, adding replies. You can use it to manage content on your webpages, and there is 100% clientside encryption so only you can read your documents without permission granted. There is no registration required, and you can share without passwords.

WriteWirth (http://writewith.com)
With WriteWirth you can upload documents, share with other people, chat, assign tasks, and track everyone’s actions with a comprehensive history. You can get feedback and blog.

Zoho Writer (http://writer.zoho.com/)
Spreadsheets, presentationware, and word processing are among the applications accessible with Zoho. These applications can be added to your windows office toolbars, and enable quick uploads. Zoho docs come with a set of templates, and can be added as pages to a Zoho Notebook. Zoho also has a virtual meeting function.

WriteBoard (http://writeboard.com/)
Writeboard allows you to create sharable, web-based text documents that let you save every edit, roll back to any version, and easily compare changes. This can be done solo or in collaboration with others. Writeboard is perfect for students, professors, and groups collaborating on a paper, as well as authors, editors, publishers, bloggers, songwriters, poets, comedians, and creatives.


2. What are the pros and cons of collaborative document sharing?

PROS: Collaborative document sharing helps teams of teachers build and refine the curriculum online and at home, instead of spending extra hours in school. They can also prepare presentations and lectures. Some document sharing sites even allow for online meetings. Using the word processing applications, you can write without fear of losing or overwriting a good idea, compare different document versions, collaborate with others, and keep your writings organized. Students can work of assignments together without physically being present.

CONS: However, it is possible to edit over each other’s work. You may have your work accidentally deleted or edited over, loosing your content. Additionally, collaboration will not allow for real-time questions and answers, prolonging the completion of a project. For instance, you may have finished your section, but you are waiting on your partners to include their sections, and you have to just keep checking for their updates.

Overall, however, collaborative documenting can be a wonderful educational tool!