Student Group and Project Work Using Google Meet

Web conferencing is real-time video conferencing software that allows you to see, hear and virtually interact with people using a computer, tablet, or mobile device. Google Meet allows students to get together virtually whenever and wherever. Groups and project teams will spend less time scheduling and traveling to meetings and find more convenient times for everyone. Meet provides tools to live stream meetings, facilitate communication, file share, screen share, record sessions, ask questions, and gather input.

Instructors use web conferencing for guest speakers, office hours, virtual review sessions, facilitating student presentations, and online courses. The potential for web conferencing to enhance teaching and extend traditional approaches beyond one-to-many delivery of content towards student-to-student engagement includes:

• Improve instructor and student access to each other reducing the isolation of remote learners by facilitating the development of support networks
• Enhance the experiences of full-time students by providing them with opportunities to interact with peers or experts working professionally in the field
• Empower students by increasing the flexibility of learning situations so that students can choose to participate in a variety of real-time, archived, or face-to-face activities
• Engage remote students more fully, intellectually and emotionally, in their learning by combining web conferencing with traditional learning activities and information communication technologies
• Become more inclusive for students with disabilities or limiting geographical circumstances (Smyth, 2005)

Zoom is integrated with Canvas and the recommended option for instructors to meet student teaching and learning needs. Students are not allocated Zoom licenses and should use Google Meet unless provided different instructions by the Instructor. Here are some tips on using Google Meet to manage your video meetings and how these features are different from Zoom. The remainder of this article will describe the individual use cases the student will need to be able to successfully complete to use Google Meet:

• Start and Join Google Meet Video Sessions
• Collaborate in Meet
• Learn Productivity Tips for Meet

Start and Join Google Meet Video Sessions

Get Started with Google Meet 

Learn these basics to get started with Google Meet and join Meet video sessions.

Step-by-Step How To

Using recommendations by the course instructor, the student learns these basics to get started with Google Meet:

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Get to know the Google Meet interface
3. Learn the different ways to start a video meeting from Meet or Gmail, on the web and on your phone.
4. Learn the different ways to join a video meeting such as from a Calendar invite, meeting link, or conference room.
5. Learn the different ways to add people to a video meeting such as from a Calendar invite, Meet, or a phone.
6. Learn about meeting codes and check when they expire.

Collaborate in Meet

Collaborate in Video Meetings

Learn how to improve the way you collaborate with your team in Meet.

Step-by-Step How To

Using recommendations from the course instructor, improve the way you collaborate with your team in Meet:

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Adjust Meet audio and video
   • Follow the steps to Change your background in a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to View people in video meetings
   • Follow the steps to Pin, mute, or remove meeting participants
   • Follow the steps to Use captions in a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Use a phone for audio in a video meeting
3. Share content and participate in meetings
   • Follow the steps to View meeting details and attachments
   • Follow the steps to Send chat messages to video meeting participants
   • Follow the steps to Present during a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Raise your hand during a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Use a whiteboard in a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Conduct a poll during a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Ask questions in a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Use breakout rooms in a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Use Meet shortcuts
4. Hold meetings with large groups
   • Follow the steps to Record a meeting
   • Follow the steps to Live stream a video meeting
   • Follow the steps to Track attendance in video meetings and live streams

Learn Productivity Tips in Meet

Tips and Tutorials

Use these tips and tutorials to combine Google Workspace applications to work faster and better.

Step-by-Step How To

Using recommendations from the course instructor, use these tips and tutorials to optimize your Meet effectiveness:

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Tips
   • 15 Google Workspace tips for video conferencing
   • 10 Google Workspace tips to work with remote teams
   • 10 Google Workspace tips for great presentations
   • 10 Google Workspace tips to improve communication
   • 10 Google Workspace tips for brainstorming
3. Tutorials
   • Plan and hold meetings from anywhere
   • Stay connected when working remotely

References

• Smyth, R. (2005). Broadband video conferencing as a tool for learner centred distance learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(5), 805-820.

Support Options

1. Access the quick start guides Google Meet Cheat Sheet, Google Meet in GMail Quick Start, or reference the Google Meet Training and Help for step-by-step instructions to hold meetings with Canvas course groups or projects teams.
2. Contact an Instructional Design Partner to learn more about using Google Meet for student-to-student interactions..
3. To request technical support, submit a Technology Service Desk email to start a ticket.