Problem Based Learning

Wikis

Wikis

Wikis are collaborative environments by design, and can serve a variety of purposes for collaborative online projects. Wikis are commonly used as personal information managers (PIMs), knowledge bases or knowledge management systems, content for academic instruction, sites for collaborative authoring of a document or project development, and collaborative communication forums (Mattison, 2003; Thoeny, 2005). Webopedia (n.d.) defines "wiki" as follows: A collaborative Web site comprised of the perpetual collective work of many authors. Similar to a blog in structure and logic, a wiki allows anyone to edit, delete or modify content that has been placed on the website using a browser interface, including the work of previous authors. In contrast, a blog, typically authored by an individual, does not allow visitors to change the original posted material, only add comments to the original content.

Because they are organized by content, rather than chronology, wikis are often used to promote collaborative content creation and editing (Coodwin-Jones, 2005; Tonkin, 2005). One feature of most wikis is the edit trail built into their structure, referred to as a version control system, which creates a complete log of every change made to every wiki page. Thus if a student inadvertently deletes the content on a wiki page, that content is saved as an edited version along with a user identifier, date and time stamp. Some wikis also allow for limited access or membership through a registration process.[i]

At the school I teach at we have progressed a long ways in the last five years concerning technology and the implementation of technology. My first year there we converted form old Macintosh computers to two computer labs of 26 IBM computers. The next year we provided a new IBM to each classroom teacher. The third year we installed a local area network and wide area network allowing communication throughout the school building and the county. In the fourth year we provide multiple computers to classroom and two wireless computer carts with 20 computers on each cart.

The one area we have not progressed in is providing students with their own individual student e-mail accounts. I support the author in that students need a medium to express them selves and to build communications skills. I see Wikis as that missing component we need to implement to provide students with a tool to express thoughts and promote communications.

When I teach Economics to the eighth grade class I have them do a project that researches a county and the students are required to provide certain economic information about their country of choice. I would like to use a Wiki to start the students on a discussion to compare the economic standards of their country to each others countries and, to discuss the economic differences and opportunities of living in the Unites States compared to the counties they have picked.

Posted at 04:25PM Nov 29, 2006 by LASKIN, RICHARD in General  |  Comments[0]