A Google Drive Feature You May Not Be Using

Over the past few years, Google has expanded their offering of apps and tools beyond the search engine.  Many of these - including Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube - are clearly beloved by many and have made their way into higher education learning environments.  However, within the vast digital landscape of Google apps and tools, there are some wonderful, lesser-known hidden gems that can make your life easier and productive.

Google Drive, although not so much a hidden gem itself, has several of these lesser-known treasures that you may not even know about right at your fingertips.  Below is a short guide on how to access and enable third party apps and tools that integrate with Google Drive.

Getting Started

Google Drive, formerly Google Docs, has predominately

QR Code Generators, Mobile Apps, and Integration Ideas

As mobile learning and technology increasingly make their way into the higher education learning space (face-to-face, blended, and online), QR codes can be used in innovative ways that can gain students' attention and make lesson material and content more interactive.

What is a QR code?  A QR, or "quick response," code is simply a scannable image typically in the shape of a square.  It resembles a bar code with black, or other color, splotches instead of straight lines.  Created in 1994, QR codes were originally used to track vehicle parts during the manufacturing process.  However, the QR codes have expanded for broader contexts and uses; particularly for accessing information with mobile devices.

What does a QR code do?  Using an Internet-connected mobile device such as a
smartphone or tablet with a camera, you scan the QR code using a QR code reader app.

Giving Students a Voice Online

Like most educators, I view teaching as a process.  After implementing a new instructional activity or creating a new online course, I immediately reflect on how effectively and efficiently students achieved specific learning outcomes.  What worked well?  What failed?  Were the students engaged?  Oftentimes I can identify and implement necessary changes to an activity or assessment the next time I teach a course, but other times I seek student evaluations and fellow colleagues for guidance.  This happened when I taught