One joy of using web-based documents is the ability to have the same document open in multiple places. It is not so uncommon for me to be rocking a Google Doc on my computer browser and also using the app to view the same document. And of course, my collaborators are on their own computer looking at the exact same document in real time.

Duplicate Chrome Tab

Right-click on a Chrome tab to reveal options for that tab. One option is “Duplicate.” This opens the exact same web page (or Google Doc) that you are looking at in another tab.

Same Page, Different Spots

Duplicating the Chrome tab allows me to view the same page but in different spots. For example the top of the page and the bottom of the page at the exact same time. If a web page has information towards the top that I need to reference when reading lower, having the duplicated page is very handy.

Google Docs

When writing papers in Google Docs and have a Works Cited or a Bibliography I need to be able to add citations easily without losing my place in the document. I simply duplicate the Chrome tab that contains the Google Doc. The first instance is then where I’m working on the content. The second instance is the Works Cited page.

Students Managing a Guided Document

If you are using Google Docs to help guide student instruction you may include important definitions and information at the top of the document. Lower in the document may be tables or other sections where students are actively answering questions that requires they refer to the information at the top of the document. If students duplicate the Chrome tab they are able to keep the focus on the definitions and other information they need in order to complete the assignment.