Defogging the uncertainties of group work assessments through collaborative cloud computing

Group work has become an integral part of the classroom experience with clearly established benefits for teaching and learning. Students can acquire target content while further developing their communication and teamwork skills through group work. The effectiveness of group work is highly influenced by the group dynamics. Group work written assessments create additional complexities for students and educators given the high-stakes nature of assessments. Teachers may wonder if all students are actively involved in the written work or if there are freeloaders within the groups. Additionally, teachers may need to address problems that arise due to the group dynamics. This study investigated the writing process and the evolution of group work written assessments completed through cloud computing. Analysis of the group work writing process was conducted using Google docs. The findings unravel a number of uncertainties that plague group work assessments and provide helpful insights for educators. Collaborative cloud computing provides transparency in the writing process for both students and teachers. In addition, pedagogical implications will be highlighted based upon the findings.