After using the Google Apps service for one year, our department has collected some experiences that are worth sharing with anyone who might roll out the service for a work group.

Wikis are prone to develop in unpredictable ways. Instructors rightfully worry about uncontrolled posting in their Wikispaces sites, because it can lead to difficulty when trying to assess an individual student's effort. Fortunately, instructors can simplify this assessment by considering some of the methods presented below.

Audio can be used in numerous academic contexts, from music to language instruction, as well as archival recordings of lectures. Making audio content available online can be an excellent way to reach students, who can listen from any location and at any time, provided they have a computer with an Internet connection.

As YouTube improves its video service, it becomes ever more attractive to educators. Universities are getting into the act by creating "partner" channels (a special designation in the YouTube account system) to collect and distribute the institution's course and promotional videos.

Maintaining a class journal prompts students to write on a consistent basis, and track thoughts as they evolve over the course of a project or a semester. This tracking can encourage students to think broadly about a subject matter, while still engaging with particulars along the way. It also encourages students to register personal reactions to reading or discussion, which can increase their investment in a class.

Peer editing is a technique often used in composition and other writing-intensive courses. Students engaged in peer editing trade drafts of material they have written and provide each other with suggestions for improvement. This technique can be used at any point in the writing process--idea formation, outlining, draft revision, or copy editing a final draft.

Collaborative writing can be incredibly rewarding for both students and instructors if expectations are established and the exercise is well planned. It is important to determine the outcomes of the collaborative writing exercise before choosing the type of technology needed to facilitate the exercise. Wikis, blogs, discussion boards, and Web-based tool services have multiplied in number and availability in recent years and can often be used for a low monthly fee, or no fee.

The word "blog" is an abbreviation of "Weblog". A blog is a web publication which consists of a series of message posts (possibly with comments by visitors). Blogs archive each post chronologically, with the most recent posts showing up at the top of the main page.