Dabbling with Google Docs
Finally starting to feel comfortable with Gmail and Google Calendar? Ready to start exploring other Google Apps features? Try Google Docs!
Google Docs has four main features:
- Documents
- Spreadsheets
- Presentations
- Forms
On the surface, each of the four features of Google Docs looks like a scaled-down version of a Microsoft Office component. But they’re actually quite different. Let me explain why Google Docs is nice addition to your software tool belt by sharing how we use each of the functions within our office.
Documents
We publish a lot of content on our websites (including BroncoBytes). We also send out a fair amount of emails to campus. We try to ensure we have decent grammar, concise content and a targeted message. To do this often requires several people working in tandem, and results in a number of revisions. This collaboration is the strength of Documents. Before, we would type up a document in Word and send it out to key members of the team. Once they made their comments, they would send the document back. An individual would then be tasked to combine all of the changes and produce the final version.
Now, with Google Docs, we make changes in real time. The benefit to me is I get several revisions from people rather than just one. Ideas from Marlene may spark additional comments from Travis, which may then involve a draft from Heather, with additions from Peter, and a final polish by Shad. I feel we are now publishing better content in a faster amount of time. We are also reusing more content than we did in the past, which I attribute to the search functions within Google Docs. Because Documents are shared out with the team (instead of individuals being gatekeepers), all of us have access to content in previous Documents.
Spreadsheets
I find myself using Spreadsheets far differently than I use Excel. I use Excel for heavy number crunching. Google may be able to heavily crunch numbers as well, but I have not invested myself in learning all of the ins and outs. Instead, I find myself using Google Spreadsheets for presenting data, collaborative workflow and sharing large lists. When I say ‘presenting data,’ I am referring to a series of gadgets Google provides with Spreadsheets — things like a Motion Chart that allows you to show changes over time, or displaying results on a map. Spreadsheets has helped me bring information alive and better understand what it is I am looking at.
Within the Office of Information Technology we have shared several spreadsheets that help us work together better. The management of migrating 4,000 people to Google Apps earlier this year was done with Spreadsheets. As one person would make a change, all collaborators involved would receive a notification. The same can be said with sharing large lists of information; having a single location that people can concurrently reference saves us time and effort, and helps us be more accurate in our troubleshooting.
Presentations
Similar to Documents and Spreadsheets, the strengths of Google Presentations lie in additional features not offered by competitors. The first feature I would point out is the ability to deliver a Presentation via the web. As the presenter, I can share the Presentation with you the viewer; by going to a webpage you can then watch me progress through the slides just as if you were watching a webinar. Being that this is a collaborative tool, I also do not have to worry about version mismatches. Too often with group presentations, everybody is working on their slides at the last minute. When you go to combine them, something is always left out. When you work with just one shared Presentation, this worry goes away.
Because the Presentation is web-based, it also makes it easier to transport. As I have sat through class presentations, it has been fascinating to watch students spending untold amounts of time messing around with a laptop or a thumb drive to bring up their presentation. With Presentations, I just go to a website and start the show. I don’t have to worry about file corruption, loosing my USB key, version inconsistencies between versions of Microsoft PowerPoint or operating systems, etc. I also appreciate how seamless it is to combine other content from the web. For example, YouTube videos easily embed in a Presentation; this beats having to leave a presentation, open a web browser, find what you are looking for and then return the presentation.
Forms
Forms is one of the most useful features in the Google Docs suite. Using Forms, I can quickly put together a survey or response sheet and embed these into a web page, email or Google Site. Within the office we use Forms to keep track of cell phone usage, brainstorming new ideas, and RSVP to classes. I also have seen demonstrations where professors use Forms for quizzes, class assessments and quick polls.
I could go far more into detail with Google Docs, but you should try out new Google Docs features and experiment with what they can do. Remember, there are two takeaways with Google Docs: collaboration and presentation. Focus on these benefits and you will find you have a collection of wonderful new tools at your disposal!
Take a tour of Google Docs online to learn more, or visit the Help Desk’s Google Apps How-To page for more information on using Google Docs (along with other Google Apps applications).
