User:Debnugent
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[edit] Using Wikis to Promote Collaborative Learning
One of the strengths of Wiki pages is the ability to collaborate on a single document, without having to keep tabs on how many "versions" of the document exist.
In a learning environment, students can work together to create a project that is available to everyone around the world. Let's consider this option. A Spanish class in America wants to collaborate with an English Class in Spain on the benefits of being bilingual. By creating a Wiki page, the students, despite being an ocean apart, can work together to create a site that everyone has access to.
Although Wikis can be an interesting tool to enhance one's knowledge in a particular field, the reader should be cautioned that Wikis can be misleading due to the accessibility of editing tool to the general public; facts obtained from Wikipedia should be double-checked before applying them in a publishing context.-Linda Seedner
It's unfortunate that this wealth of knowledge cannot always be used as a credible reference when researching for educational purposes. Anyone can edit the text, therefore the reader cannot tell if it comes from an expert or a novice. The information has to be double-checked as Linda suggested which adds work for the person trying to find resources to tap into. Lorraine Coulombe (aka Lulu)
Incorporating all these technology tools into an existing program/course is absolute work as stated! As stated in the readings though, the digital natives are winning as teachers are constantly trying to evaluate why students don’t get it, and at the same time students feel classes are boring. I feel that the student generation will win out as they progress through the aging process, and at the same time the immigrants will try to play catch up in this race to further gain knowledge, especially on a global playing field. If teachers can’t find an easy way to adapt to a new way of teaching/learning (instead of using a “Big Bird” entertaining venue!) this next generation will end up not being properly educated/trained not because they don’t want to be, but because they aren’t being taught through the right methods that they learn through. Eventually I see the natives becoming immigrants as well! I think we will always be chasing new ways and methods to collaborate, especially in lieu of everything going global through the World Wide Web. ~Rich
It is important to know that all wikis are not completely open for all to view and edit. Wikis used by many institutions of higher ed, offer students a secure and controlled wiki environment where they can collaborate with fellow classmates on projects. They are not wide open to the entire World Wide Web like Wikipedia is thought to be. Yes, most of Wikipedia content is open for viewing and editing, but not all.
Initally in 2001, Wikipedia was set up without formal rules, as a virtual space that was open for collaboration and editing of information. Today, there are site administrators that monitor edits and posts as well as restrictions. In an interview with New Yorker magazine, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about current Wikipedia contributors: "I don't care if they're a high-school kid or a Harvard professor...articles must reflect a neutral point of view (N.P.O.V., in Wikipedia lingo), and their content must be both verifiable and previously published. To me, the key thing is getting it right." Despite this, some academic institutions like Middlebury College in Vermont have banned their students from using Wikipedia as a cited source in their research papers. However, other institutions use it as an educational tool. You can read more about this in an Educause publication titled "7 Things You Should Know About Wikipedia". I will post this as a PDF attachment in our module 6 discussion board.
After reading the article about the University of Arizona, I agree with their conclusion about wiki integration into courses: wikis provide the opportunity for students to work collaboratively and gain experience using technology tools that can be applied in different work situations. I also think it is useful for students to analyze information found on Wikipedia and evaluate it by looking at other sources to determine if its content is accurate. As Lulu says in her contribution to this wiki, it's more work for the student, but I think it has value as part of the learning process. Sophie Tag.
Hello everyone I think that Wiki’s have some problems with this format of communications. It seems to me there are possibilities of manipulation of facts or even vandalism. But I also think that it is a great way to have a dynamic encyclopedia, as events happen things can develop in real time so that is way cool.
Over all Wikipedia is a great place to start for our research and then develop your research from many peer reviewed articles.
Anthony Aiken
I totally agree with Anthony that it's dangerous for viewers to rely on Wikipedia as their primary source of information (and I think we had talked about this point in a previous discussion post too). One benefit of Wikipedia, though, is that it's SO public and SO reviewed, and there are people out there whose life mission is to look for inaccuracies that they can fix! :-) (like, I bet I spelled "inaccuracies" wrong - and if I did, one of you guys can fix it for me!!)
From the standpoint of using wikis as an educational tool... I think the technology would be highly beneficial for groups working together to create a report or project. It doesn't really apply to the course I'm currently designing as part of this class, but I have worked in online groups in the past when it was a real chore to send around attachments and integrate everyone's contributions. This seems like an ideal solution to that. Neat!! Enjoy the day, Everyone!
Thanks,
Karen
Kim's response: I agree with Karen that a wiki is a great tool for workgroups to use for working on projects together. I am not a big fan of wikipedia, for the reason that the information may or may not be correct. It is fun to read, but I would not rely on it for any kind of important project or paper.
To edit this page, simply click on "Edit this page" and add a paragraph or two. Share your thoughts from the readings on Wikis. If you were going to use a Wiki, what would you use it for and how would it support your learning objectives? Feel free to add links (Internal or external), pictures using the menu at the top of the edit box. Always use the "Show Preview" button to view your post before saving!
All - I have to create a Wiki page for work and had to figure out to create a table within the page. It's not as easy as using html table coding. For many functions, Wiki has its own syntax that must be used. See below for the coding on how to create a table:
| Exceptions |
| There's always an exception to every rule. In this case... |
It's definitely worth buying a "wiki for Dummies" book to help you with coding if you're looking to really jazz up a page. -- Deb --
Sheryl's thoughts: I thought I'd play with the color first.I think Wiki's like any other technology is another tool to be used with students. Others must think this ia a great tool and reference as Wikipedia indicates that there are 2,063,829 articles available.This leads me to believe there is not much that hasn't been touched yet, how do you make it your own. I searched on a number of subjects, and never came up blank. How do you then trust what you are reading knowing there is so many pieces on Wikipedia? Would this be true of all generations? I can see the usefulness of this tool for a project as others have indicated and creating your own page for this. What happens when the project is done? I guess I should do more research, but how do you delete a wiki page? Can that even be done?
