What is a
wiki? A wiki is a website that allows
anyone to add, delete, or revise content by using a web browser
(Dictionary.com, 2016). Wikis are generally
used in the educational realm to enhance the collaborative learning environment. The overall purpose of a wiki is to support
the team’s needs for building a shared understanding of a topic, goal, or
objective; to support team processes such as planning, research, and problem
solving; and to create team outcomes through a shared document or set of documents (West
& West, 2009, p.5). A wiki eliminates
the need to have several copies of the same document floating around as it allows
individuals the freedom to update, edit or delete material at the same
time. This aspect of the document in my
opinion is the most prominent feature.
Wikis can be
very useful in educational settings, but the limitation of this tool is that it
can be edited by any individual who may post inappropriate or irrelevant
content to the wiki, which in turn may take away from the focus of the wiki
(King & Cox, 2011, p.123). Wikis are posted in the public domain, the internet,
however there is a password protect and notify feature which allows the author
to monitor the information that is being added or deleted from one’s page; this
helps to ensure the validity of site. Other
concerns for using a wiki are they are viewable by anyone with access to the
web and the views can be seen as bias since the research could be drawn from a
one-sided approach.
From an
instructor’s standpoint wikis can be incorporated in both the classroom and
online learning environments. It is on
the instructor to find or decide on the right wiki that would best suit the required
end state according to project requirements.
Wikis are a great tool that allows the instructor to see just how much
individuals within groups are participating or contributing to the assigned group
activities. Despite the potential benefits of using Wikis for course
assignments, grading of Wiki assignments can pose a challenge to instructors
(Hazari, North, & Moreland, 2009).
In these cases it is imperative to provide students with a rubric to
ensure all parties know just what to expect.
Hazari, S., North, A. & Moreland, D. (2009).
Investigating pedagogical value of wiki technology. Journal of Information
Systems Education, 20(2), 187-198.
King, K. P.,
& Cox, T. D. (Eds.). (2011). The professor's guide to taming
technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning.
Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
West, J. A., & West, M. L. (2009). Using wikis for online
collaboration: The power of the read-write web. San Franciso, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Wiki. (n.d.).
Dictionary.com unabridged. Retrieved September 14, 2016 from
Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wiki
Danella- I really like your point about wikis being safe because we can password protect them. I personally have not been a fan of Wikipedia as a resource. I have never allowed my students to use this site because I do know that the authors are necessarily qualified to provide factual in-depth information. With that being said, your point does solidify the protectionism of wikis sites that I did not trust in the past. Godwin-Jones (2003) explains groups can secure information by establishing rules, and providing password protection; furthermore, he explains the content is expected to be viewed over time unlike blogs and carry a little more value in that respect (para. 13)
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Godwin-Jones, R. (2003, May). Emerging technologies: blogs and wikis: environments for on-line collaboration. Language, Learning & Technology, 7(2), 12. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=ksu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA115103437&asid=6d9020483a1479b5bc8e27df3025a7ea
Cara,
DeleteI have never been in a class that allows you to use Wikipedia as a reference either but as I am reading I am starting to wonder just why I cannot going forward. Maybe the teachers don’t think we are capable to verify if the source is credible or not. I can say that I always start my research with Wikipedia and it usually gets me going down the path in which I choose to take.
Danella
Cara and Danella, in some wiki's I have used the information I add cannot be seen until "2nd'd" which means that the information will stay hidden unless a second person verifies the information. Would this system work better than a password? Would it improve your opinion on valid information on wikis?
ReplyDeleteKoul,
DeleteI like the “2nd’d” approach. I think is does help to ensure the credibility of the information being sought. The only problem I see here is that if no one ever goes behind you and verifies this information, then your piece of the puzzle to enhance the learning aspect of the page will never be seen. It seems the real purpose of using a wiki is to continue to build on one’s knowledge to cultivate a learning community. It is in participation in a dialogue with other learners that knowledge is shared, a community is formed, and dialogue occurs (King & Cox, 2011, p.124).
Danella
King, K. P., & Cox, T. D. (Eds.). (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Danella do you think there is a subject that lends itself to wikis better than another would a history teacher might have an easier time using wikis than a math teacher? or do you think that every class has a place for wikis. is there a place for wikis in higher education outside the classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think that any subject can benefit from creating a wiki. One of my art education courses created a lesson plan, resources, and art movements wiki for use in K-6 art education. There are also plenty of articles on Wikipedia itself concerning math, so I think a math class could definitely create a relevant wiki on different mathematics topics.
DeleteWiki's don't only have to be hosted on the Internet, they can also be hosted on intranets (or local servers). My job at Hale Library had a wiki through Atlassian that functioned this way. We had extensive information, documents, databases, and projects hosted there. We also had different groups and permissions for who could edit what articles and files. I used it everyday while I was at work, it was crucial to project management and keeping track of what tasks we were all working on and how completed they were. Since it was on an intranet, I could not access the wiki when not at Hale Library at my work computer.
ReplyDelete