2. How does Google Docs affect
students’ motivation and
engagement when editing and
revising written work?
• Hypothesis: We believed that Google Docs
would increase student motivation and
engagement when editing and revising
written work.
• Goals:
– See writing as a process
– Improve editing and revising skills
3. Technology used:
• 30 MacBook Air laptops each in a 7th
and 8th language arts classroom
• Google Docs
4. Process leading to
anticipated outcomes
• September: Collaboration and teaching
basic functions
• October-November: Practicing functions
and beginning to write and edit; 1st data
collections
• December-January: Continuing to write
and edit, introducing more advanced
functions; 2nd data collections
• February-April: 3rd data collections
5. Engagement research
outcome
• Higher engagement when writing and editing on
Google Docs (as opposed to paper/pencil):
– Questionnaire: higher familiarity breeds
confidence, which leads to higher engagement
– Editing/revising task: Number of redirections
needed (1st paper/pencil, then on Google
Docs):
• 8th: 9.6 4.6
• 7th: 2.8 1.1
– Exit slip: getting past barriers– “…it is easy
for me to type, and I enjoy not getting
writer’s cramps.”
6. Questionnaire data
• Close-ended, megacognitive questions about
students’ feelings and behaviors in relation to
the computer and Google Docs
September
April
7th Grade Data
9. Motivation research outcome
• Students were more motivated to edit and
revise when using Google Docs
– Questionnaire: “How helpful is Google Docs in
editing and revising your work?”
– Editing/revising task: Thoughtfulness of
feedbackaverages (1st paper/pencil, then on
Google Docs
• 8th: 3.6 3.9
• 7th: 3.5 4.2
– Exit slip: Are you more motivated pencil/GD?
“I am more motivated to write when using Google
Docs because I like the comment feature.”
10. “How helpful is Google Docs when
editing and revising your work?”
• 7th grade data
11. “How helpful is Google Docs when
editing and revising your work?”
• 8th grade data
12.
13. Surprising outcomes
• Higher homework completion and turn-in
• Easier to write– ideas “popping into their heads”
• Working better between girls and boys, peers
who aren’t friends
• Reciprocal teaching, self-sufficiency
• Behavior management
• Ease of sharing assignments, powerpoints, class
notes
• Expanding into WallWisher, blogs, Google
Sites, taking laptops home
14.
15. Barriers and facilitating
forces
BARRIERS FACILITATING
• Time!!!!! • Going paperless
• Technology • Having a team!
malfunctions, learn • Early proposal
ing curve, and drafting and
support support
• Excess of writing • Great technology
tasks– hard to fit
everything in (data
write-ups, etc)
16. Suggestions
• Have teams
• Breaking up writing assignments into smaller
pieces
• In-building tech support: having Jen Scypinkski
nearby was GREAT– but not everyone had that
• Periodic work days during the fall, especially:
half or whole day subs
• Option to do this action research as a “no-
credit” course– might inspire more teachers to
get involved
Hinweis der Redaktion
Checklist of basic functions, having to create that list, teaching students step by step; first essays in oct and nov, editing tasks
Questionnaire: as time went on, students were more motivated to edit/revisew/ google because they found it more helpful, cycle, etc.
