Today you will practise three things with work you already have saved in the school cloud. You will share a file so your partner can comment on it but not change it, leave a comment that is really useful, and get back an earlier version of your work if something goes wrong.
If you send a copy, they get their own file, so their changes never touch yours.
If you give access in OneDrive or Google Drive, you both open the same real file, and you choose a permission that says what they can do with it.
- View only means they can read it.
- Comment means they can add notes but cannot change your work.
- Edit means they can change or delete anything.
For work you will be marked on, comment-only is best. Cloud files also keep a version history, which is a list of earlier saves, so you can often get back something you deleted.
Work with a partner. Each of you needs a short document saved in OneDrive or Google Drive, such as your research log or a practice page. In the activity below, follow the steps for your school's app.
- Share your document with your partner at comment-only.
- Leave one specific comment on your partner's document, not just "looks good".
- Open version history and restore an earlier version, which means bringing it back. Your teacher will show you how first. If your school blocks restoring, write down what is different in the earlier version instead.
If you have not already, reply to your partner's comment, resolve it and add a second comment.
Now use the same skills on the work that matters most. Use your Student Project folder if you have one. If you do not have one, use your research log or any course folder with a few clearly named files.
- Before you share, look through the folder for anyone else's photo, name, voice or personal details. If you find any, check that the person agreed to it being seen by the people you are sharing with, or take it out.
- Share the folder or the main file with the people your teacher named, at the permission they asked for (view, comment or edit).
- Check the permission yourself. If you shared with a named person, such as your teacher or a partner, ask them to open it on their own account and tell you whether they can view, comment or edit. If you shared a link, open it in a private or incognito window, which is not signed in to your account, and check it works the way you meant.
- If more people have access than you meant, change it now and check again.
Sharing the real file is different from sending a copy, because there is only one document and the permission decides who can read, comment on or change it.
Comment-only is usually best, because your partner can give feedback but cannot change the work you will be marked on.
Version history can undo a bad change if the file is in the school cloud, but the right permission stops that change happening at all.
Before you hand anything in, check who can open it and what they can do.
Unlock the full learning experience
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.
This lesson is copyright of DigitalSkills.org 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.