Current technological tools allow for real-time co-writing and information sharing, even around the world. Writing together does not mean that writers have to sit side by side at the same computer. Interaction no longer requires the presence of another in the same space. A lot of different texts are produced online. For example, various wikis or other online platforms can be used not only for studying but also for research, projects and working groups. Writing and reading in virtual time is perhaps more communal than ever before.
Co-writing works well with cloud services. These include Office365 OneDrive and Google Drive, among others. At the same time, authors can communicate and discuss in real time.
The use of both platforms is similar. You can create your own folders and files to which you can grant different rights to others (read and edit rights). Files can be shared via email or links. There are different ways to use comments in files. In OneDrive, you can edit text directly, review text by adding comments and make changes. In addition, it is possible to simply view the file without making any changes.
It is worth learning to use cloud services in your studies, as they enable a wide range of ways of working. Cloud services can make working and writing work more efficient. If you send the text as an attachment, there is a risk that the different versions will get mixed up. In long-term writing assignments such as a thesis, it may be useful to create your own folders for the data base, material or method sections of different sections.
However, keep in mind that Outlook365 OneDrive does not have all the same tools as Word. This means that there are more tools in the desktop version of Word than in the cloud service. Therefore, for example, different templates do not work in the cloud service, and their layouts may change. So you should always finish the final work in the desktop version.
One option is to pre-write the actual text in the cloud service. The text is then copied to the template and finalized on the computer desktop. This will make the template table of contents and source list work properly, and the layouts will automatically follow the instructions. The finished work can always still be uploaded to the cloud service, where it is stored and quickly available when needed.
In most courses, the return of learning assignments is requested in such a way that you have to share your work in the cloud service and bring a link to the Opens discussion area, for example. See Humak's instructions for publishing and sharing learning materials and learning assignments here.