Google’s new social media network, Google+, has provided students and teachers with new ways to organize and work together in the virtual world.

At least, that’s what Google’s product manager, Ronald Ho, said about the new social media platform that opened to the public in July 2011.

“University students and teachers have tons of great ideas about how to use Google+ in a more structured, organizational environment to teach, learn, work and play,” Ho said.

On Google+ students can organize their roommates and clubs into groups called Circles and hold anything from study sessions to club meetings using Hangouts, a free video chat room that allows up to 10 guests to share screens, notes and Google Docs.

Google+ Circles are easy to use, said Victoria Barkley, international business junior, and it helps her keep her friends in the loop.

“It is far easier to make a friend group on Google+ versus Facebook,” Barkley said.

Although Barkley enjoys using Circles, she has yet to organize a Google+ Hangout but believes it would be a great way for students to study.

“They can essentially share everything in one forum instead of emailing back and forth,” Barkley said.

Beyond student-to-student communication, Google+ can be used to strengthen student-teacher interactions online.

“There is no reason to think that Google+ or something like it won’t take over for Blackboard,” said Mark Poepsel, mass communication professor.

Some university professors, including Poepsel, plan on using Hangouts to conduct office hours.

“I think it’s completely plausible that you do your office hours through video chat or Hangouts because students don’t have to get dressed and come in. It’s much more accessible,” Poepsel said.

Poepsel said he would also try to use Hangouts in his advanced reporting class so that he can answer student questions about Final Cut Pro while sharing his screen and taking questions live.

“In fact, if it works once, I’ll probably do it every week,” Poepsel said.

Even as a relatively new social network, Google+ is no underdog in the social media world.

Google+ launched five months ago, and according to a Nielsen report, Google+ ranked the eighth position in the top 10 U.S. social networks and blogs this year. Although Google+ fell behind top web brands like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, the social network reached an all-time high of 49 million in December 2011, according to Experian Hitwise, an online behavior research company.

There is a multitude of social media networks to choose from, and Barkley believes that everyone should have a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.

Barkely said that not enough people are on Google+, adding, “The best way to utilize it is to tell your friends about it.”

“We’re just getting started, and what you see in Google+ today is just the beginning of what university students, faculty and staff will be able to do with Google+,” Ho said.

Colby Wilson can be reached at [email protected]