GMail as a Student Feedback Tool

GMail (and by extension, Google Apps) can be used extensively for providing quick and timely feedback for students. As a way of saving paper, students use Google Docs to type research essays or story-writing projects. They can then submit these papers to me via their personal or school-assigned GMail account.

Once edited by me, I can send these papers back to students with my corrections and comments through GMail. Students are also able to email me during the project with any questions or points of clarification when needed.

While that may lead to a large amount of emails per day, GMail's labels system can be utilized to sort students by class period. I have a system of different labels -- for example, "1st Hour Lang. Arts"-- that I have assigned to the email accounts of all students in that section. By using the search or filter options to show just those class sections, you can alleviate sifting through hundreds of emails just to find a single student email from 5th period!

Students can easily connect with their course instructors, program mentors, and other support staff through messaging features and scheduled appointments. Mentorship is a core component of WGU's academic model, and the portal plays a vital role in facilitating regular, structured interactions between students and mentors. This ensures that students are consistently guided get more idea, motivated, and supported throughout their academic journey.