I've been experimenting with making a Wiki for my creative writing class. Here is the link:

http://complements.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

A wiki, according to Wikipedia, is "a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites." The main difference between a Wiki and a website is this ability to collaborate as far as content. Any user can contribute content or edit existing content. A wiki differs from a blog in that blog posts cannot be edited by anyone other than the user who posted the original, but a wiki is similar to a blog in that users can post comments to existing posts.

As for employing this technology in the classroom, I can see several uses that overlap with other technologies, and one use that is unique. For those using Blackboard or other web technologies, much of what a wiki can do is familiar. I can imagine using a wiki to post assignments (similar to the wiki I've posted above). I can imagine using a wiki to post additional course materials and links to outside sources. Both of these uses are similar to how I use Blackboard. In addition, I can imagine using a wiki to create student generated content that is visible to the entire class, and I can imagine using a wiki to allow students to critique one another's work. These last uses are very similar to how I would use a blog in a class - students would post work and comment on the work of others. All of the above can be done using other technologies and are not necessarily unique to a wiki.

The one unique use for a wiki is the ability for students not only to comment on the content of the site, but to work collaboratively on this content. If one student edits content, that edit can be approved or denied by other users (approved = content remains unchanged; denied = someone edits content) in the same way Wikipedia articles are subject to collaborative editing.

A great assignment would be to spend the semester collaboratively creating a unique wiki on a particular subject. In other words, rather than using the wiki to do what we already do with other technologies, I would want to use it to create something new. I would probably break the class into smaller groups, and ask them to create a certain section of the website. Students would be responsible for writing and editing all content on their section, and would do so collaboratively. The end product would be an entire website created by the students. PBwiki would be a great resource for taking on such a project.

One more thing that is unique about blogs and wikis... As we've discussed in the discussion forums, blogs and wikis are public and can be seen by anyone. I think this would give students a sense of ownership that is not present when using Blackboard or the web technology we use at AAU. A class blog or wiki would be truly open to anyone in the class and anyone in the world! This might create a greater sense of what is at stake and encourage students to become more excited about what they contribute.

 Create your own educational wiki!HelpPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS