Feature Article

Building Autonomy ThroughCollaborative Writing with Google
Docs
Nick Boyes
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
How can we help students improve their own writing? Change in student writing
must be internally motivated. Students are most interested in each other. Students
also need role models from their peers. They need to know that their classmates
are having the same struggles that they are.
The writing process is a fundamental tool of academic writing. Using Google
Docs can foster collaboration at both the organizational stage and the grammar
correction stage of the writing process. Collaboration teaches students to beautonomous, lowers the burden on teachers, and also intrinsically motivates
students.
This article will suggest ways to use Google Docs in the writing class thatallow students to see examples from their peers in near-real time. However, if
student collaboration is not clearly defined, guided, and properly scaffolded, use
of Google Docs can easily confuse students. This article offers activities to guidestudent feedback on topic sentences and allow students to correct grammar
errors together.
“I don’t know. Just Google it.” The introduction of the Internet into theclassroom has forever changed education. Nowadays, with student use ofsmartphones in class, the Internet is more ubiquitous than ever. It provides
a community and knowledge base that language teachers can hardly ignore.
While it is best known as an Internet search engine, Google also recently created228Collaborative Writing with Google Docs, OnCUE Journal, 9(3), pages 228-238

productivity software called Google Docs. Even though Google Docs started in2007 (Hamburger, 2013), the literature on Google Docs and its implications forthe language classroom are surprisingly scarce. This may be because as Hyland(2008) claims, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) “is still largely
distinguished more by its potential than by its performance” (p. 162). Google
Docs is essentially a Web-based version of the Microsoft Word word processor(MS Word).
Especially for writing courses, Google Docs provides “a high degree of
flexibility for content creation and sharing” (Firth & Mesureur, 2010, p. 4).
The fact that student and teacher MS Word files can now be shared easily andsecurely online allows for a dramatic increase in student collaboration during
the writing process. Technology continues to enter the classroom throughcomputers, tablets, and smartphones. The current article encourages educators
to try out Google Docs in their own contexts and offers a few ideas for using it toenhance typical writing classroom activities.

Why Google Docs?

As Hyland (2008) observes, traditional “word processers fail to make use of theadvantages of connectivity that technology now provides” (p. 151). Levy andStockwell (2006) recommend using word processing software in the writingclassroom because it eases the process of generating and editing text. Brown(2010) recommends CALL in the classroom because it offers students a space
to notice language forms, get immediate and personalized feedback, build
computer skills, and have a private space to make mistakes. Google Docs allows
instant feedback and collaboration on student-generated text when students areonline at the same time. Google Docs can function in real-time, and it is fasterand easier than having students email or exchange USB memory sticks. Also,
the data is always online, so students will never lose it, and there is no need to
install software. Students and teachers who are already used to MS Word will findwriting in Google Docs to be very intuitive. The files you create are both secureand easy to share. As Franco (2010) notes, Google Docs is extremely helpful inproviding the collaboration that is crucial to the writing process. Using Google229

BoyesDocs in the writing classroom lets students determine their level of involvement
while also allowing them to collaborate.
That being said, both students and teachers will need Google accounts inorder to use Google Docs. The good news is that these days many universities
provide their students with email addresses that are serviced by Google. Thismeans that with their university email address, students already have access to
the library of Google services. Sharing documents with students and having
them work together is as easy as saying “check your email”.
While you could have students work on Google Docs on their smartphones,
students still write best on a computer with a large screen and a keyboard. A
computer classroom is an ideal environment to have students use Google Docs.
Students will of course be unsure of what to do at first, but with support fromtheir teacher, students will get used to Google Docs quickly. Being in a computerclassroom lets the teacher help out any students who may lag behind or haveproblems.
However, technology should not drive education. Rather, pedagogicalprinciples should guide language learning and writing instruction. As Levy andStockwell (2006) note, teachers must not be led by technology. Rather, teachers
who use it in the classroom should have clear goals for their course, consider the
backgrounds and goals of their students, and then use the appropriate technology
for their classroom. The two example activities below attempt to improve
performance in the writing classroom and add a more extensive collaboration
element with Google Docs.

Writing Activities with Google Docs
1) Remaking the Grammar Drill
One quick and easy activity to start students out with is fixing erroneous sentences
in a grammar drill. While many students may be confident in their spoken
English, they may be less sure of the intricacies involved with punctuation errors,
homophones, citing research sources, etc. In a Google Document, students canconfer discreetly about errors while still interacting in a hands-on fashion. If theteacher puts the Google Document on a screen in front of the class on a projector
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Collaborative Writing with Google Docs, OnCUE Journal, 9(3), pages 228-238

for everyone to see, the teacher can also provide verbal feedback as students areworking. Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Make a MS Word Document of pre-made grammar errors orauthentic errors from students.
Step 2: Upload it to http://docs.google.com. Use the teacher’s email address
and password to log in. Then drag and drop the file onto the browser window to
upload it.
Step 3: In the school-sponsored Google email account (Gmail), create a listof the email addresses of students under “Contacts” (Figure 1). Click the buttonlabeled “New Group” to get started (Figure 2). Name the list something like
“Writing 3rd Hour”.
Step 4: Show the Google Document to students on a projector before sharing
it with them.
Step 5: Be very clear that students should write the corrected sentence under
the numbered sentence. Perhaps demonstrate one sentence with the class before
they touch their computers, and type an example correction under the erroneous
sentence.
If this is not made clear, students may fix the existing sentence internallyinstead, thus negating the benefit of seeing the error that was corrected on thescreen.
Step 6: Number the students off in pairs, and have them work together
on questions. Be sure to have the first student write their corrected sentence
under the original erroneous sentence, and have the second student write theircorrected sentence under the first student’s answer. It is also a good idea to havesome extra sentences at the bottom for advanced students to work on in casethey finish early. Once students have finished the first question, or once theteacher confirms that the answer is correct, students can be told to move on to
the next question for their pair.
Step 7: Finally, share the Google Document by clicking on the blue “Share”
button in the top right hand corner (Figure 3). Enter the name of the class email
list made in Step 3, for example, “Writing 3rd Hour” in the text box labeled“people” (Figure 4). Choose from “can edit”, “can comment” or “can view”. For
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Boyesmost purposes, “can edit” usually works. Then push the blue “Send” button, andpush the blue “Yes” button again to confirm.
Step 8: Have students check their email and click on the link in their email
message to enter the document.
Step 9: Supervise and help students who may be having issues.
Step 10: Offer verbal feedback, hints and correction while students work on
the exercises. Teachers can select and even fix certain areas of text on their screen
or projector while offering individual or group feedback.
Start small with a short, manageable activity. At first this may seem like a lotof steps, but both teachers and students will quickly get used to using this tool
for language learning. During the first attempt, it may be wise to show students
how to copy and paste from the original erroneous sentence. Many students are
surprised to learn that “control + C” allows them to copy and “control + V”
means paste. If the students are spending too much time on the activity, copy
and paste will of course rapidly improve their response time. Remember to startsmall by trying a short list of some pre-made grammar errors.
Alternatively, to make this grammar drill more learner-centered, after
students have gotten used to correcting pre-made errors, have students input andpeer-edit their own errors. This moves the grammar drill from what Levy andStockwell (2006) call “grammar tutorial exercises” to “learner-centered grammar
instruction”. This kind of instruction develops learner autonomy.
Step 1: Have students exchange paper copies of their essays in small groups ofthree to five people for peer-editing.
Step 2: Designate each group with a letter, number, or catchy name.
Step 3: Have students underline or circle mistakes on their paper copy.
Step 4: Prepare a simple Google Document with headings for “Group A”,“Group B”, etc. and some numbers under each heading for numbered erroneous
sentences (Figure 5).
Step 5: Share the Google Document with the students (see Step 7 from
“Remaking the Grammar Drill” above).
Step 6: Have students enter the erroneous sentences they found into theGoogle Document shared under the heading for their small group on a numbered232

Collaborative Writing with Google Docs, OnCUE Journal, 9(3), pages 228-238

list. The students have just created their own library of authentic errors!
Step 7: Then have students return their paper copies to the author.
Step 8: Have students type corrected sentences under the numbered sentences
for their group just like they did in Activity 1. The teacher can offer verbal
feedback on the correction of these errors and take questions from students.
Step 9: Have students check the underlined sentences on their printed draft
and correct their errors for the next class.
Self-identifying errors and fixing them is a crucial writing skill. However,students are often critical of “errors” corrected by their peers. As Hyland (2008)
observes, peer editing “is said to provide a means of both improving the writers’
drafts and develop the readers’ understandings of good writing…in a communityof equals” (p. 198). Japanese EFL students particularly tend to crave authoritative
feedback from their teachers. This is also supported by Hyland’s (1998) researchthat teacher feedback is highly valued by students. This alternative grammar
activity is learner-centered, and it allows students to develop their own peerediting skills while at the same time allowing the teacher to give the feedback
and correction that students desire.
2) Identifying Topic Sentences
Another idea for peer editing is to have students exchange paper drafts, underline
the thesis statement, topic sentences, etc., and enter them into a Google
Document. Again, have the students enter the topic sentences under headings fortheir group (Group A, Group B, etc.). Have the students rate the topic sentenceswith a scale by writing a 0, 1, 2, 3 after the sentence. For example, “1” means veryclear, easy to understand, “2” means somewhat difficult to understand, “3” meansvery difficult to understand, and “0” means couldn’t find a topic sentence (Figure6). This gives students real authoritative input into the writing of other groupmembers rather than just one-on-one peer response. Feedback from multiple
group members also pressures the author to make necessary changes. Of course,
the teacher can view the entire Google Document and give feedback to all groups
as well. Finally, students can be asked to write clearer topic sentences under theoriginal sentence. In this way, students can have authoritative input into their233

Boyespeer’s writing and end up writing something together that they never could havewritten on their own.
3) Build a Works Cited Reference List
If you have not already done so in previous class sessions, give students example
books, newspaper articles, journal articles, etc. and show them how to cite
research sources in APA, MLA, etc. At the end of a brainstorming class session,
give students the homework of finding one to three research sources and citing
them in APA, MLA, etc. Choose the number of sources based on the level ofyour students and their context. Have them print or copy their research sources,
write them on a worksheet and bring them to class the following week.
When students come to class, check their worksheets, and then have thementer their research sources into one Google Document. Be sure to have students
enter their research sources in alphabetical order. As a class, check that eachsource is cited properly. Ask the students what is wrong with each citation.
Assign one student to correct each citation. If necessary, have them copy andpaste a new version under the erroneous citation. Finally, when all the citations
have been fixed, tell the students that they may use any of these resources to write
their first draft. In this way, as a community, your class has created a better, more
effective body of research than any student ever could have on their own.

Building Autonomy Through Collaboration

Group collaboration is critical in the writing classroom. As Brown (2010) notes,
technology in the classroom is especially useful when having students work on
collaborative projects or peer-editing. An example piece of writing written by
the teacher is a high goal to attain. Reading the writing of other students (fromtheir own class or previous years) provides students with a more attainable goal.
Harmer (2007) recommends collaboration during the writing process because it
greatly benefits everyone involved. In fact, he claims that students will broaden
their research and “find themselves writing things they might not have come up
with on their own” (p. 328). Dörnyei and Murphey (2003) suggest “near peerrole modelling” as “one of the most powerful ways of teaching” (p. 128). Theysuggest that students need peers (physically present or not) who are “close to234

Collaborative Writing with Google Docs, OnCUE Journal, 9(3), pages 228-238

the learners’ social, professional and age level whom the learners may respect andadmire” (p. 128). Through example essays from previous years, students can see
how students before them have improved. Through collaboration in small groups
on Google Docs, students can see that their current classmates are also working
hard to become better writers.
Alm (2006) goes further, quoting self-determination theory to say that using
technology like Google Docs fulfills students’ motivational needs by giving them
relatedness (a feeling of connection to other peers), competence (the feeling of
being effective in interactions), and autonomy. Dörnyei and Murphey (2003)
define autonomy as allowing students to make choices, giving them positionsof genuine authority and encouraging them to teach each other. By allowing
students to identify and correct each other’s grammar errors, we give them realpositions of authority, and allow them to effectively teach each other.

Supporting Students

As teachers, it is our job to support and scaffold the learning of our students until
they become at least semi-autonomous. As Hyland (2008) says, “computers do
not replace teachers” (p. 148). Although students may appear to be savvy techusers when playing with their smartphones, it is irresponsible of the teacher toassume that youth is equivalent to mastery of technology, or that all of theirstudents are already computer literate.
Stockwell and Levy (2001) showed that students with no prior experience inword processing generally create less text than other students. In spite of this fact,“writing teachers do not generally devote much time to these skills” (Hyland,
2008, p. 148). While most students will not initially be overly enthusiastic about
using Google Docs, there is no need to cause them undue frustration.
It is especially important to effectively support students’ first experience with
Google Docs. If they initially see it as difficult or frustrating, they may give up
on the task at hand and miss out on the greater benefits of collaboration. Even
if students are adept computer users, they may not be able to understand andfollow exactly what the teacher wants them to do in Google Docs. Teachers need
to be very clear to their students about what is required, who needs to do it, how235

Boyesit needs to be done, and what the desired outcome is (Chapelle, 2003). As Levy
and Stockwell (2006) advised, students need to know that the teacher is available
to feel safe when working with technology. While using Google Docs, it is the
responsibility of the teacher to make clear the goals and desired outcomes. It isalso the responsibility of the teacher to support and equip students as they strive
to attain these outcomes.

Conclusion

Compared to a traditional word processor-based, one-on-one peer editing
writing classroom, Google Docs allows students to gain input from multiple
students and the teacher at the same time. The activities suggested in this article
allow students to build autonomy by giving students a first step into collaborating
and learning from others. They give multiple students a first and guided step
into having real authoritative input into another student’s writing. The writing
community that can be built inside Google Docs gives students a glimpse at thevalue of working with their peer role models. It gives them a chance to see what
their peers inside and outside of class are doing. In addition, it gives students achance to feel connected and to relate to other students’ writing.
Still, while the opportunity for student interaction and collaboration is high,nothing can replace real human interaction. The teacher still needs to definetasks and goals appropriate for their students, choose the correct technologicaltools for these goals, and offer continuous support to students throughout thewriting process.
These writing activities with Google Docs will enable students to better
identify their own errors, help their peers, and create something better than they
could have ever created by themselves. Writing is never an individual process;even the best of writers have editors. However, hopefully through activities likethese through Google Docs, we can guide our students onto a path where they
can become more autonomous writers who are also willing to help their peers.

236Collaborative Writing with Google Docs, OnCUE Journal, 9(3), pages 228-238

References

Alm, A. (2006). CALL for autonomy, competence and relatedness: Motivating
language learning environments in Web 2.0. JALT CALL Journal, 2(3), 2936. Retrieved from: http://journal.jaltcall.org/articles/2_3_Alm.pdf
Brown, H. (2010). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language
pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Chapelle, C. (2003). English language learning and technology: Lectureson teaching and research in the age of information and communication.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Dörnyei, Z., & Murphey, T. (2003). Group dynamics in the language classroom.
Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Firth, M., & Mesureur, G. (2010). Innovative uses for Google Docs in auniversity language program. JALT CALL Journal, 6(1), 3-16. Retrieved
from http://journal.jaltcall.org/articles/6_1_Firth.pdf
Franco, C. (2010). Teaching using Google. The Internet TESL Journal, 26(2).
Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Franco-Google/
Hamburger, E. (2013, July 3). Google Docs began as a hacked together
experiment, says creator. The Verge. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.
com/2013/7/3/4484000/sam-schillace-interview-google-docs-creator-box
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching. Harlow, England:
Pearson Longman.
Hyland, F. (1998). The impact of teacher-written feedback on individual
writers. Journal of Second Language Writing, 7(3), 255-286.
Hyland, K. (2008). Second language writing. Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.
Levy, M., & Stockwell, G. (2006). CALL dimensions: Options and issues incomputer-assisted language learning. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.
Stockwell, G., & Levy, M. (2001). Sustainability of email interactions between
native speakers and nonnative speakers. Computer Assisted Language
Learning, 14(5), 419-442.

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BoyesAuthor bio

Currently at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS), Nick Boyes has beenteaching writing and presentation skills at various levels in Japan for the last few
years. With a previous background in information technology, Nick is passionate
about using technology to guide and enable student autonomy. nboyes@nufs.ac.jp
Received: January 17, 2016
Accepted: April 11, 2016

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