Traditionally when students have a large writing assignment, you may have them go through several drafts or revisions. Usually the students turn these versions in, you evaluate them, make comments, and give the work back to the students, who in turn revise (hopefully) and the process repeats.
What can be done on paper, can be done much easier through Google Docs.
- Students can write their papers in Google Documents.
- They can share their documents with you electronically, and give you edit rights.
- You can then evaluate the documents, and can leave notes in the margin using Docs "discussion" feature. This allows for you and your student to have a back-and-forth chat right in the document, but the notes will not print out if/when the file is finally printed.
- Students can then revise their documents and you can use Docs' revision history feature to see exactly what they changed and when.
- This process can continue until the final version is done and you put an electronic grade on the file .. a file that has never once been printed.
- Best yet, you don't have to lug home a stack of papers or worry about keeping them straight. Everything is done online.