15 Free Google Tools for eLearning Professionals

Better learning outcomes comes from collaborative learning and highly interactive eLearning courses that are carefully planned. Always remember that a learning tool or simply software is the median. We as eLearning professionals give value to any tool based on the way that we use it.

The limit is your creativity!

You maybe interested to read Google Launched an Open Source Authoring Tool

1. Blogger
   Blogger is Google’s free tool for creating blogs. It can be used for a variety of educational reasons. For example form simply engaging learners to record journal entries, and assess acquired knowledge.
   
   
2. Google Calendar
   You can organize your Online Syllabus, online synchronous and asynchronous events!
   
   
3. Google Docs
   With Google Docs your group of learners can collaborate online with each other in real-time right inside a web browser window.
   
   
4. Google Earth
   You can use Google Earth to engage your learners with interactive activities for subjects like history, environmental science, geography, etc
   
   
5. Google Maps
   How about creating a list of your favorite point of interests at MyMap?
   
   
6. Google Reader
   You can use Google Reader and Google Customer Search Engine with the same way. The difference is that instead of searching a list of valuable websites (GSE), with Google Reader you can read and share the content by subscribing to the websites' / blogs' RSS feeds.
   
   
7. Google Scholar
   Would you like to help your learners become better researchers? Nowadays our learners receive a ton of information. How we will help them create a critical ability to assess information?
   
   
8. Google Search
   I am not going to talk about Google Search... However, I would like to talk about Google Custom Search Engine. Would you like to create a Custom Search Engine that displays only results that you know will be right? Would you like to have your learners create a list of websites and pages for a specific topic, field, interest, etc? Actually you are putting the power of Google search to help your learners achieve better learning outcomes.
   
   
9. Google Sites
   One of the reasons that I like Google sites is because you do not need technical expertise. You create a website the same way you edit a document
   
   
10. Google Sky
    Highly recommended for subjects such as astronomy. You can view millions of stars and galaxies.
11. Google Talk
    eLearning facilitators and learners can call or send instant messages to their contacts for free. Highly effective for collaborative and synchronous learning!
    
    
12. Google Translate
    For virtual global groups of learners Google translate is the ultimate solution. Do not stuck with resources only in English. Google's free online language translation service instantly translates text and web pages. Highly recommended for teaching languages!
    
    
13. Google+ Hangouts
    Would you like to see, hear, and share information to your online learners. With Google+ Hangouts you can have a video group chat for up to 10 people for free! It is a powerful tool much better than a Web Chat.
    
    
14. Trimble SketchUp
    Would you be interested to create, modify, and share 3D models? With Trimble SketchUp from Google you can do more than that!
    
    
15. YouTube
    Tell me that you did not know that a wide range of videos with learning value is available on YouTube. I highly recommend you to use YouTube EDU for Free lectures from more than one hundred colleges and universities.

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