When you are working with other students on one project, you will no doubt need to share files with them. It is best to agree on a process for sharing files from the start, or you may end up with several copies of the same file with changes in each one that will need to be combined at some point—a laborious process.

One effective way to share files is to make sure only one person at a time is using the project file. Each student edits or revises or comments in the file before passing it to the next student. Each student changes the name and the date in the file name and puts similar information inside the file, in a header or footer.

Another approach is to upload the file to a collaborative workspace (a shared server) so that all members of your group have access to the same working version. You may be using classroom management software (Sakai, Blackboard) or an online tool (Google Drive) that has space for storing shared files. An advantage of a tool like Google Docs is that you can edit simultaneously with your team members and the software will keep track of all edits.

Whatever strategy you adopt, it’s important to maintain good communication with your team members. That means posting e-mails or texting team members about when you will work on what files and then posting again when you are finished and someone else needs to take up the work. You can also communicate inside files, by leaving notes or comments about what you did, what needs to be done, and who is doing what.