Today’s college students are learning about a popular new phenomenon affecting university degree programs across the nation. Several students working on a group project can now write, edit, and change references simultaneously. Best of all, they can do this while each is sitting in the comfort of his or her own home!

All of this can be accomplished by an innovative technology known as cloud computing. No, this doesn’t involve levitation, flying, or any other form of travel. Instead, students log in to a central computer databank and their computers are simultaneously linked to the project. Every person who is logged in through the Internet can view the document and make changes to it at the same time.

Currently, only two technology giants, Google and Microsoft, have the capacity to make this possible. These companies have discovered a means of using the Internet to link individual PCs to a central computer owned by their organization. This computer is responsible for storing the document, as well as the complex set of processes that allow multiple computer users to edit the project.

What will this new technology mean for the future of distance learning? Now, students can meet together at the same time and work on part of a class assignment without affecting any of the other participants’ access to the document. In addition, they can view changes made to another part of the assignment even as they are occurring. If one student believes that another has made a mistake, he or she can indicate this or edit the document while everyone else is present and viewing the results.

Of course, this could become an interesting power struggle if students are in complete disagreement concerning certain features, such as font, writing style, or word usage. Hopefully, Microsoft and Google are working to add features so that the project leader can prevent certain changes from being made or lock out other project workers from making changes with which other members disagree. Otherwise, unless the group is able to reach a collaborative agreement, chaos could result!

This is only one of many new changes introduced by online technology. Concerns over data loss and viruses have led many to abandon flash drivers or CDs for the more secure feature of storing their documents at available online storage locations. System crashes and other concerns have led many to prefer web-based mail applications such as those available through Yahoo or G-Mail.

Of course, all of these new technologies lead to increased concern about security and privacy. Logging in to these central databanks could make it possible for unscrupulous hackers to mine data or steal identity information. Finally, users strongly hope that the organizations offering these services will maintain high standards of ethics and not attempt to obtain any data from PC users who log in for the services.