Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

INTRODUCTION TO GOOGLE DRIVE

OBJECTIVES

 Access Google Drive and sign up for a Google account.

 Learn the basics of Google Docs and how to convert uploaded documents.
 Share documents, manage permissions, and collaborate with editors and commenters in
real time.

Accessing Google Drive

There are few methods in which we can access the Google Drive, the easiest way is by using a Chrome
browser. In Chrome, when we click on a new browser or a new tab, we will be presented with the
following page. Just click on the Google Drive logo and we will be directed to google drive website.

Figure 1: Accessing Google Drive from Chrome home page.

If we do not have a Chrome browser then we can access Google Drive by entering the following URL on
our browser, http://drive.google.com.

1
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 2: Accessing Google Drive via the URL

Or we also just Google for “Google Drive”, which should also bring us to the following page:

Figure 3: Google Drive welcomes page

In order to use Google Drive, we are required to have a Google account. If you already own a Google
account then just continue with signing in, for those of us who is yet to create an account, we will
continue with signing up for Google account.

Signing Up for Google account

2
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

On the Google Drive welcome page, there is a bright red button up on the top right corner with the words
“SIGN UP”, click on the button to create your account. We should get the following page.

Just fill in the required information, note that all the information is required except
for the field “Mobile Phone” and “Your current email address”. Both these fields
will only be used for security purposes such as when you would like to prove that
you are the owner of the account.

There are cases where account was hacked and in order to gets the account back,
Google would ask you to verify that you are the owner by sending messages or
email to the phone number and email address provided.

It is recommended that we fill in both these two fields but it does not have to be
filled during registration and we can always fill them up later.

Another important option is the link “I would like to use my current email
address”. By default, when we would like to get a Google account, Google will provide us with a google
mail account or Gmail account. This is an email account with the gmail.com domain at the end. However,
we could choose NOT to create a Gmail account and use our current email account to sign in and use
Google services such as Google Drive.

Which one should we choose?

We are recommending new user, who do not have any Gmail account to get your own Gmail account.
The reason is simple, later on when we are using Google apps such as Google Drive, periodically Google
will send us some notification about our account. Let say there is someone who commented on our shared
documents, we will receive email notification about that, or if someone edited our documents, we will
receive email notification about that too. So, it is better that this email is delivered to other email account
so that it does not interfere with our email account at work.

If we already have a google email account, we could decide whether we want to receive the above
notifications in our current Gmail account. If we prefer to receive the notification in a separate email, then
we need to sign up for a new Gmail account.

3
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Basically, if we are the kind of person who like all our email to be in one place, then we can proceed
registration without creating a new Gmail account. Otherwise, if we do not mind logging in into multiple
email account and have our email located in multiple account, then we might as well create a new email
account. The choice is yours.

Once we have completed the form, please make sure you tick on the checkbox with the text:

“I agree to the Google Terms of Service and Privacy Policy”

or you will not be able to submit. Verify that all information is correct and submit the form. We should
get the following page. Click on the “Back to Google Docs” button to get started!

Figure 4: Registration Completed

4
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Introduction to Google Docs

Google Docs is basically an online version of Microsoft Word, Excel and Spreadsheet and in Google
Docs they are called Google Document, Spreadsheet and Presentation. Recently Google Docs is
integrated with Google Drive so that all your documents can be stored online.

After we complete our registration, we will be directed to the following Google Drive page:

Figure 5: Our Google Drive Page

In Figure 5 we can see that Google Drive panel is divided into three parts. On the left is the folder view
which shows any files shared with us, starred files and recently modified files. At the top is the menu bar
which contains options such as create new folder, sort files, view options as well as settings. In the center
is the area where files in the Drive will be display, but since we do not have any files yet, this is replaced
with some information about Google Drive.

Adding file to Google Drive

5
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

There are 2 methods in which file can be created in the Drive, the first method is by creating an empty file
from scratch, this can do by simply clicking on the “CREATE” button. The second method is by
uploading an existing file onto Drive and edit it afterwards.

To add existing file to Google Drive, click on the hard disk with arrow up button beside create button, and
choose files.

Figure 6: Uploading existing file onto Google Drive

We will be presented with an upload file panel, browse for the file that we would like to upload, click on
the file and choose upload. Once completed we should get the panel such as figure below:

Figure 7: File uploaded complete.

Click close (x) on the upload panel and we should see the file in our Drive main page.

6
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 8: Upload file appear in file list

Convert uploaded document to Google Docs

Notice that when we uploaded the file, the file has the icon W at the side of its filename. This means that
the file is still a word document and not a Google Docs document. Bear in mind that we can only do
editing on a Google Docs file and not on a Microsoft Word document. Try and click on the file just
uploaded to view the content of the file.

Figure 9: Word file uploaded onto Drive

Notice that when a document is in its original form, we are unable to edit the document. To make the
document editable, click on File > Open with > Google Docs.

7
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 10: Converting word document to Google Docs

This will save the original file as Google Docs and open up the file in a separate editor. We will now be
able to make changes to the file. Let us close the editor and go back to our Google Drive home. Notice
that now in our file list there are two files, the uploaded Microsoft Word file, and the converted Google
Document file.

Figure 11: Original Word document alongside its converted counterpart

As can be seen in Figure 11, although we convert the uploaded Word document into Google Docs, the
original file is not modified and still exist in our Drive. Click again on the Google Docs to do some
editing on the file.

Share documents with others

8
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

One of the most powerful features of Google Docs is that it is a powerful collaborative tool. Google Docs
allows us to have multiple people editing the same files at the same time and ensure that all modification
can be seen by all editors. This is useful when we have a single document that requires multiple input
from different users for example shopping lists, program agenda and so on.

To share a document, follow the following step:

1. Click on the document that we would like to edit.

Figure 12: Sharing document with other editors

2. Click on the Share button (refer to figure 12)

3. A “Sharing settings” panel will appear.

9
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 13: Sharing settings panel.

“Link to share” is the URL that we will share with people that we want to collaborate the document with.
The URL for the document can be made public i.e., we can put it on a website because only those who
have access can view the document.

Under section “Who has access”, it shows 2 information. The first information shows the sharing settings
of the document, currently there are 3 settings options available:

● Public on the web

This means that document is searchable on the internet. Anyone who manages to find it,

can do modification on the document.

10
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

● Anyone with the link

Document will not be searchable, only those who has the link can access the document.

● Private
Only people explicitly given access can access the document. Users are required to

sign-in to access the document.

Figure 14 shows the sharing settings.

Figure 14: Sharing settings for the document

Click on cancel so that we are back to the Sharing settings panel (Figure 13). If the document is marked
as private then we must explicitly specify who can access the document, as of now only the owner can
view and modify the document.

4. Add people as collaborator (editor)

To add collaborators, we need to insert their email address in the Add People field. We can add as many
collaborators up to the maximum of 200 peoples.

11
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 15: Adding another collaborator to document

Enter one of your partner email addresses and then click Share and Save. If you would like to send your
partner an email, please do not forget to tick on the “notify people via email” option, otherwise we will
have to manual email our partner the link.

5. Add people as collaborator (commenter)

There are times during collaboration where we would like some people to be able to view the file but does
not modify the file. The people are what we called commenter. They are allowed to view the file and
leave comment about the content of the file. To add a commenter, the step is similar to adding and editor,
except when entering and email address, we click on the “can edit” link and change it “can comment”.

12
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 16: Adding a commenter to a Google Document

Click on Share & save and the collaborator will get an email saying that we would like them to review
our file.

This is the power of Google Docs in which we have great control over who can access the file and what
they can do with the file. A feature that currently is not available elsewhere.

13
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Once we are finish, verify the list of people that we have allowed access to the file.

Figure 17: Completed Sharing setting

click on Done so that the file can now be accessed by others collaborators.

There is one important options worth mentioning, when we add an editor as a collaborator, an editor can
also add others collaborators and modify the permissions of the file. If we as an owner would like to set
so that no other person can add new collaborators and change the file permission, click on the “change”
button besides the “Editors will be allowed to add people and change the permissions” options.

14
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 18: Settings for what editors can do

Make sure that we choose the option “only the owner can change the permissions” and then click on
Save.

We have now completed adding collaborators to our Google Docs document.

Collaborate with other editors

In the previous section we have covered how Google docs can be shared with other people and how they
can be assigned as editor or commenter. We will first look at the role of editor first. When an editor
logged into their Google Drive account, and clicked on “Shared with me”, they will see that a new
document has been shared with them. At this point though, the user will only know that there is a file
being shared but do not know what is the access given to them.

To continue the lab, ask your friend to add you as an editor for a Google Document.

1. Login into your Google Drive account and you should see a file shared by your friend.

15
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 19: Editor will see that a new document is being shared

2. Click on the file name to open the file in Google Docs.

Figure 20: Shared file open in Google Docs

Notice that when the file is opened, you get to see all the button required for editing such as Bold, Italics
and underline. This indicates that you are assigned as editor and you are allowed to edit the file.

Since Google Docs is a real-time document collaboration tools, others collaborators may view and edit
the file at the same time as you are. If there are other collaborators online, Google Docs will show the
number of users currently viewing the file under the Comments button.

16
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

In Figure 20 we can see that there is 1 other viewer viewing the file. This means we can click on the link
and have a chat with the other viewer.

3. Open up a file and view the file with one of your friends.

You should see the sentence 1 other viewer appearing in your Google Docs. Click on the link and send
your friend a message. Then ask your friend to check his/her document, the “1 other viewer” sentence
should now show the message that you have sent.

In figure 21, we can that an editor sent a message to the document owner and the owner can read the
message.

Figure 21: Message sent by editor appeared at the top of the document

4. Click on the message to reply.

This will open up a new chat panel that allows both of you and your friend to exchange message and
discuss matters related to the document.

17
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 22: Chat panel allows collaborators to discuss content of the document

Collaborate with another commenter

Unlike editor, commenter is not allowed to modify the file but can only view the file and add comment.
Here is an example view for a commenter

Figure 23: Google Docs interface for commenter

Notice that the menu bar does not have any control button but only have 2 buttons which are button to
print and button to add new comment. After viewing the file, if the commenter would like to add a
comment, the commenter can click on the Insert Comment button. Note that it is advisable for the
commenter to highlight the text or area in which the comment will be applicable.

18
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 24: Insert comment button

When the Insert comment button is clicked, a comment panel will appear besides the document which
allow user to add comment. (Figure 25).

19
 Applications of ICT Lab Lab 11

Figure 25: Comment panel

To comment just type in message in the text field and click Comment. Since this is a real-time
collaboration tool, if the owner of the file is online, he/she will also able to see the comment.

20