Wikis are a collaborative management system (Web Trends, 2011). One of the best resources on the internet that builds transparency, linking and editing is Wikipedia (Oreillynet, 2007). The benefits of a wiki are that anyone can edit it; they are fun and great for comparing, analysing topics and engaging in higher order thinking. Participating in wikis provide a community based feel to learning.
The use of wikis in a learning environment is very effective. One activity I did was setting up a wiki with relevant course links so I didn’t have to scroll through every week of course information to find what I was looking for. This activity could be useful in a classroom setting as students could make a ‘favourites’ page of site links the class regularly visits. This could make homework and assignments much simpler.
The use of wikis in the learning environment promotes collaborative learning and critical thinking. For example it is a scaffolded learning activity; it integrates learning and ICT, promotes higher order thinking through continuous editing and analysis of information, promotes creativity and also is very fun and easy to use.
Wikis can be useful for collaborative activities such as problem solving, web writing, editing, submission of assignments and project spaces (Culligan, 2006). A collaborative writing exercise could be to do a class project. Each student could have a topic to write about and paste into the wiki. The class can work together to design the layout of the wiki and then work individually to research their specific topics.
An activity such as setting up a wiki within a classroom is channelling the connectivism and constructivism theories. Wikis are all about learning in digital age and the students are constructing their own reality through the use of ICTs.
Web Trends, (2011). What is a Wiki? Retrieved March 27, 2011 from http://webtrends.about.com/od/wiki/a/what_is_a_wiki.htm
Wikipedia, (2007). Wikis work for big projects. Retrieved March 27, 2011 from http://www.oreillynet.com/network/2006/07/07/what-is-a-wiki.html
Culligan, M. (2006). Digital natives in the classroom. Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved March 27, 2011 from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/digitalnatives/index.htm
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