Google Docs – Power User Collaboration

Ever wonder how to get started on a group project in Google Docs when everyone lives in different time zones?
Here are some useful tips:

1Insert > Table…  Ceate an introduction activity!
Within a few minutes everyone can fill in: name, color for in-line comments, preferred contact details, time zone, scheduling availability and individual strengths. Post your next meeting time at the top for quick-reference!

Next meeting Scheduled: Jan 27th @ 7PM PST

2Divide work into sections.
After initial discussion it’s helpful to divide work into sections so teammates can work asynchronously and meet synchronously for edits, changes and suggestions.

3Turn on notifications.
If your peers are new to Google Docs/Drive let them know how to do this. Whenever a comment, suggestion or question is created using the comments feature, an email notification will be received.

Top right: Comments > Notifications > All

4When it’s time for questions and group input, show peers how to use the commenting feature.
Send them a link to view this simple video to see how commenting works.

5When it’s time for edits, show peers how to use the suggested edits feature.
A quick-video tip such as the following really helps someone get started with editing features: