So what is a Wiki? A Wiki is a web site that is always under construction, it's open to the public and anyone can change or edit the contents without any special computer knowledge (2013). Wikis can have millions of contributors and editors, but no specific "author" (2013).
There are many different reasons people would use a Wiki over other technology that is available; while there are positive and negatives to using a Wiki.
- Positives-
- A lot more open structure
- Easy to create, doesn't take a lot of technological knowledge
- Online space for brainstorming and being creative
- Access can be from any internet access
- Students can have a sense of ownership
- Several Wiki services are available
- Stays open even after the class has finished
- Negatives-
- People can change what others have written
- The group of the Wiki can dominate over an individuals opinion
- Difficulty keeping it as a credible source with so many contributors and editors
- Can be difficult to monitor
Overall, Wikis can be used as a great available tool in a teachers technology tool belt. For a Wiki to be successful, it all depends on what you use or create it for. For example, if a class is supposed to create a research type web page, a Wiki may not be the best tool to create it. This is because a research web page should be credible because of the amount of research being put into the project, however anyone can change the information and make it false.
A Wiki would be a good source for a creativity project or an expression type of project. Where the information was from personal opinion and feelings.
(2003, November 20). Using new media to understand 19th-century literature. Retrieved from Academic spotlight website: http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/english/000021.shtml
(2013). Wiki-walk through. Retrieved from Teachers First website: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/
Ferriter, B. (2009, February). Learning with blogs and wikis. Retrieved from Educational leadership website: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Learning-with-Blogs-and-Wikis.aspx
Leelefever. (2007, May 29). Wikis in plain english [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY
I really enjoyed reading your blog post about wikis. I found it to have all of the important information needed.I agree with you totally that Wikis can be a great technological tool and that they are not great for a research project. To me Wikipedia is a research project work in progress. A lot if not most of the material on there can be considered questionable. But any project could have the information changed or deleted.
ReplyDeleteA wiki is easy to create and there are numerous wiki services for people to use. I am still not totally sold on wikis though because of the fact there can be multiple contributors and editors. There should be some way to make a wiki more secure and more credible in its information.
Good points for pro’s and con’s, especially the thought that wikis are particularly useful for brainstorming and creative process. There are times in working on a wiki with a group of people from online classes where I feel a bit like I do when involved in a face to face class discussion. Reading other people’s information and thought processes in the fluid wiki environment inspires thought and creativity on my own part. I miss the interaction from face to face classes; a wiki can help created a similar environment online. I also see wiki benefits like you have mention, not simply specific to an online environment. The items you mention can be benefits of a wiki used in most all teaching environments.
ReplyDeleteJames A West, Margaret L West. (2009). Using Wikis for Online Collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kelli,
ReplyDeleteWhile a Wiki can allow many to work on a particular topic, the down side is that it isn’t monitored; anyone can alter the appearance or the information of a Wiki. That is one reason when I have my students complete a research project, the use of Wikipedia is not allowed simply because the information that is placed on there may not be all that true.
With the negative aspects being listed, there are more positives than negatives in regards to Wiki’s. It is open for editing 24 hours a day which is more convenient than a traditional regular classroom and it give the chance for the other members of the group to provide constructive criticism towards other members of the group in regards to the project that they are working on.
I found an article on online group work patterns that looks at knowledge construction as either knowledge equivalence, or similitude between students. "During the development of group work, the participants can progress to stages of higher knowledge equivalence and shared knowledge, as a result of a successful collaboration; or diverge and produce a small amount of knowledge equivalence and little shared knowledge" (Oliveira, Tinoca, & Pereira, 2011, p. 1349) I thinks this is important because it addresses the fundamental purpose of using a Wiki, collaboration and learning. Participants have to be committed to the concept and the product, and to have the motivation to meet established timelines.
ReplyDeleteDom
Oliveira, I., Tinoca, L., & Pereira, A. (2011). Online group work patterns: How to promote a successful collaboration. Computers & Education, 57, 1348-1357.