Teaching with Technology During a Disruptive Event
Please use UW-Madison's instructional continuity website as your primary source of information and assistance. Consider the information contained in this guide as additive.
5 ways technology can help you during a Disruptive Event
2. Collaboration
Collaboration technology is one way to preserve the regular pattern of instruction by being able to share documents with and among students and instructors. Collaboration can take place between an instructor and a single student, an instructor and multiple students, and among multiple students (e.g., group project).
The best tool for most people is UW Google apps
UW-Madison's license for Google Apps (also referred to as a UW-Madison G Suite Account) includes a collection of cloud-based productivity and collaborative tools including: Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Sites, Google Keep, Hangouts Meet, Hangouts Chat, among others.
Why do we recommend UW Google Apps?
We recommend UW Google Apps because it is a commonly used protected space allowing students and instructors to share content and collaborate.
Stand out features:
Collaborate in real-time with classmates and UW–Madison colleagues
Access various tools for a variety of needs - e.g., documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
Accounts are administered by UW–Madison via the NetID
Protects your intellectual property and individual privacy rights
Unlimited storage
Question: How do I start using UW Google Apps?
Log in using your NetID and password at https://apps.google.wisc.edu/. If you’re logging in for the first time, you’ll see a welcome message. If you have a personal Google account, log out of your personal account first, before attempting to log in to the UW Google account. Visit UW-Madison G Suite - UW-Madison G Suite Accounts vs. Personal G Suite Accounts for more information.
You may also log in by visiting the UW - Madison homepage (www.wisc.edu) and selecting My UW >> Google Apps.
Question: What instructions can I provide to my students?
Ask students to log in using their NetID and password at https://apps.google.wisc.edu/. Also remind them to log out of their personal account first, if they have one, before logging in to the UW Google account.
To create and then share a new Google document, spreadsheet, or presentation, select "+New".
Students can also upload files or folders to Google Drive from their computers. More information can be found here: Uploading Files to Google Drive
To collaborate with other students and the instructor in real-time, students can share access to their documents. More information can be found here: Sharing Files with Google Drive
Finally, share the UW-Madison G Suite - Get started with Google Drive with your students to make sure they understand how to access and collaborate on files in Google Drive.
Question: Is UW Google Apps accessible and secure for instruction?
Because the UW Google Apps are accessed through the authentication of a NetID, it is a safe and secure tool.
Screen readers and keyboard shortcuts can be used with Google Docs, Sheets, and Presentations. You can find more information here.
Also Helpful: Other Tools for collaboration
While the UW Google Apps are likely one that most students are already familiar with, there are other tools that can offer similar solutions. Box, Microsoft 365 Teams, and Zoom all allow you to collaborate with students on various types of documents.
Box
Box provides you with a place to easily store, access, and collaborate on your files. You can access files online and manage the users with whom you wish to share your content. Learn more about Box here.
Microsoft 365 Teams
You and your students can view, edit and collaborate on files such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can upload existing files or create new files. Students can collaborate on a document, and the changes will be merged as they work. Learn more about Microsoft 365 Teams here.
Zoom
Zoom provides you and your students with a place to meet synchronously (live), for lectures and smaller discussions in breakout rooms. You can share documents, create polls and surveys, and use whiteboard technology to collaborate with one another. You can access UW-Madison Zoom here.