Reflection on Co-constructive tool

In this session we learned about yet another role of computer to teach and learn that is IT as a co-constructive tool. We looked at what the definition of co-constructive tool is, some of its examples, importance of using co-constructive tool in teaching and learning and worked on Google classroom which is a feature of Google. We concluded the session by creating our own and joining our friends Google classroom.

Co-constructive tool are applications that support the construction of knowledge through a shared understanding that is collaboratively consolidating the ideas. Google docs, electronic whiteboard, blogs and wikis, discussion forum on portals like the Moodle that we use are some examples of tools which we can use to co-construct our knowledge. Google docs, blogs and Moodle apps are free so we can use it while other tools like electronic whiteboard is not free so we don’t have access to it.

Why is it important to teach our students using computer tool is that students can co-edit meaning that they can edit each other’s work, communicate to share ideas which in turn promote collaborative learning. They are involved in series of cognitive process like explanation, problem finding and solving. Here learning becomes active and intentional as students participate to  edit and refine and construct their work.

We also discussed advantages of using Google docs which we have already learnt.  The three features of Google docs: edit, can comment and can view gives the user the full right to change the setting. The user can give right to the viewers to edit if he/she is competent enough, selects who comments and who can’t and even select who can just view their work on Google docs. Any type of changes made while working on Google docs get automatically saved. To access Google docs we can either check our mail or browse googledocs.com online and login our g-mail account which will directly take us to Google docs.

We learnt about Google classroom which is similar to Google docs which is a very useful co-constructive tool. The difference between Google docs and Google classroom is any g-mail user have in –built Google docs which they can access easily whereas for Google classroom we need to have organizational based email. For example my college email (06150282.pce@rub.edu.bt). Google classroom is a free web service developed by Google that aim to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignment in a paperless way. It should be invited through a key/private code which we can change anytime. With access to internet students can download notes, give feedbacks or comments and do their assignment on Google classroom.

Lastly, the class ended by creating our own Google classroom as a teacher and also joining in our friends’ classroom as a student and we explored the interesting feature of using it.  To access Google classroom, we have to go to googleclassroom.com with our college email logged in and either create or join Google classrooms.