“With Tension comes a little work”: Safety and Privacy in the Online Classroom Space

The use of Web 2.0 technologies in educational settings have been lauded for promoting student collaboration and motivation. In the writing classroom, it has been found to align with the basic tenets of composition writing including an emphasis on process, revision, and communal knowledge formation. At this time, however, little research has been undertaken on safety and privacy issues raised in these semi-public online spaces.

This study shares the experiences of three freshman composition classes at UH Manoa who used Google Drive as a homework hand-in and peer review tool. The study confirms the findings of digital literacy theorists that Web 2.0 technologies promote motivation but also finds that greater levels of motivation and achievement are correlated with some discomfort.

Data was gathered primarily through two qualitative research methods: a questionnaire and focus groups, conducted at UHM in the Fall of 2014.

The study adds to existing digital literacies and composition scholarship, which at this time has not fully explored the use of Google Drive or privacy issues in educational online spaces. The study suggests that further research could be conducted on strategies to create safe online classroom environments.