Wikis — Original Post by Sue Thach
Apparently, the use of wikis is really catching on. When I typed the search term “wiki” into the Google search bar, I got 1,280,000,000 hits! (One billion, two-hundred eighty million hits!) It’s definitely time to jump on the wiki wagon!
A wiki is a website that allows users to contribute and share information or ideas, learn new information from other contributors, and be actively involved in the process while a concept is mapped out or a project develops. On a wiki, users can also upload documents, link to Web pages, and embed videos, audio clips, files and images to share with the group. The collected resources from the entire group can be edited and stored on the wiki until the project is completed.
Wikis are a great, fun, easy tool for collaborating, brainstorming, editing, planning, and creating. People who are members of the wiki merely click “Edit” to add to the electronic conversation that is always available to them online in the wiki. When the user clicks “Edit,” the wiki page becomes like a document with an editing toolbar that allows content and formatting changes. Users can also add new pages to accommodate related or tangent subjects or a new project.
Like email, the wiki is always accessible. Users can get an idea wherever they may be and update the wiki using a smart phone; or they can wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, add it to the wiki, check what others have added, and not have to bother anyone in the group who might be occupied elsewhere. Unlike email, in a wiki, everyone’s contributions are all in one place, rather than in individual emails that must be opened one by one in order to see recent communications. It helps to see all of the collected contributions at once so that they can be expanded, arranged, and edited into a logical, flowing document.
The uses for wikis in education are obvious: both students and teachers can contribute to wikis as students collaborate with each other and the teacher guides the learning progress. Rather than having a public access wiki like Wikipedia--which anyone on earth with an Internet connection can edit--teachers can create a private wiki that only group members an edit.
In order to keep peace among users of the wiki, there should be an honor code based on some rules of conduct. The Apalachee High School (AHS) Media Center has a Wiki Charter detailing its rules and the reasons for them. When using wikis, students (or any other users) should be aware of the importance of respect for others’ work and kindness as far as editing opportunities are concerned (AHS Media Center, 2011). Teachers can check the wiki to ascertain whether all group members are contributing equally and to make sure that they are on track with their assignment.
In my experience, wikis can become stale and then forgotten, eventually providing dead links and outdated information. To keep this from happening, contributors and potential users must stay interested, informed, and aware of updates to the wiki. In the school setting, advertisements or announcements, e-mail reminders, rewards for contributions, contests, and games are just a few ways to keep wikis active. (At my school, all it takes is candy.) If the wiki is started and maintained by a particular person, i.e., the media specialist or a teacher, and that person becomes unable to check links or update the content, then someone else who is dedicated to the wiki should take over.
Teachers can collaborate with each other on wikis as well. The Wikispaces for Teachers page has links to tutorials on how to use wikis for educational purposes. YouTube has many videos that define, explain, give tips, and demonstrate how to use wikis. One video entitled “Wikis in Plain English” had 1,618,755 views when I watched it (Lefever, 2007). On Lefever’s Common Craft website, he has a transcript of the video so you can review the information without watching the video repeatedly (Lefever, 2011). (I recommend the Common Craft site for how-to videos on lots of educational tools and subjects.)
References
Apalachee High School (AHS) Media Center: Wiki Charter. (2011). Retrieved October 9, 2011, from
Lefever. L. (2007). Common craft useful handcrafted videos: wikis in plain English. Retrieved from
Lefever. L. (2011). Common craft useful handcrafted videos: wikis in plain English. Retrieved from
Tangent, LLC. (2011). Wikispaces for teachers. (2011). Retrieved from
YouTube: Search results for wiki. (2011). Retrieved October 9, 2011, from
Sue,
ReplyDeleteI thought that this blog was very interesting; I had no idea that so many people much less billions were using Wikis. I’m relatively new to the Wikis “Wagon” so I’m still learning how to use them, your blog gave me some good ideas for using them and places I can go to learn how to setup and use them effectively. The ideas you mentioned for keeping members active on the wikis are good and perhaps, I should send them to the person that maintains the wiki for my school. :)
Thanks for your post,
Heidi
Sue,
ReplyDeleteI found your compare/contrast of emails and wikis interesting. I’ve always seen wikis as distinct from email and never even considered them as alternatives, but it makes sense for certain situations/groups.
I was also struck by your comments on keeping wikis alive. You offer some good suggestions for keeping the dialogue going. I hate dead links and outdated info as much as anyone. Those are my two biggest Internet irritants. Dead links waste time, and outdated info both wastes time and can be very misleading. I always tell my students to check the date of any site they’re considering before getting into the reading/exploration. I’ve learned the hard way how much time can be wasted exploring a site only to learn later – as in when I’m putting the references together – that the information is seriously outdated. But I also don’t think all wikis need to last forever. I know that’s not what you were suggesting by your comments, but I think wikis are ideal for short-term projects/purposes, and may live on – or not. They can be used for specific projects – such as many of the ones we’re doing for this course/program – and can be retained as models for future students, if the quality is there and the assignment is repeated. Or they can be allowed to quietly fade into the vast realm of lost links, having served their purpose. Wikis are cheap (sometimes free), easy and flexible –perfect traits for a disposable platform.
Thanks for sharing your tips,
Liz
Sue,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that wikis are as accessible as email--just a few clicks and you have sent/updated information for recipients to see. With a wiki, the most updated work doesn't get lost in in the person-to-person shuffle of email.
I first became involved with creating a wiki on my own this summer with the Backward Design Class for Dr. Snipes. There were four or five people trying to complete a table--while being in different parts of the state.
We were talking and using IM, but all of these methods just wasn't cutting it. Our group finally took the plunge and created the wiki.
While we were conferencing, one person would edit the wiki based on our thoughts and actions and the form miraculously and quickly took shape.
The good thing about a wiki is that anyone who is a member can edit and if someone edits something accidentally, the older versions are retrievable. For students using wikis, the teacher can monitor the history of changes to be aware of who made what changes.
That preliminary wiki lead to three or four more wikis created and used during summer session. It made collaboration a whole lot easier!
On a side note, I do enjoy Common Craft videos and encourage anyone to check them out. They make everything look simple and easy to try.
Thank you for your insightful post:)
I enjoyed reading your post Sue. I believe creating and using wikis to compliment classroom instruction is a valuable tool. I was not familiar with the Common Craft website and appreciate your details and links. You mention Common Craft has lots of how-to videos -- for the classroom teacher who is uncomfortable with technology, this might be the key to success. I appreciate your time, expertise and insight. Your post was excellent.
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought that you would have received the number of results that you did seaching for Wikis. Also, I feel that the information that you shared about the honor code and keeping Wikis fresh would benefit all of us as students and teachers/School Library Media Specialists. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSue, My first introduction to wikis was in this Media Program at UWG. I heard the term thrown around in conversations before, but thought they were for "techies" or computer geeks. After learning and finding out what they really were and overcoming my apprehension, they are a great tool for educators, students and anyone in general that has something to say and contribute to a given topic. I love working with wikis in groups and projects. Our wiki space at UWG allows us to contribute in an ethical way by time-stamping and keeping track of our edits and comments. I particularly like that you can see how the wiki space looked before and after each edit. This is great for our professors to track individual contributions and to see how well we worked within our group.
ReplyDeleteTamara C.
Sue,
ReplyDeleteWow! Who knew there could be so much information out there on wikis. I loved your term “electronic conversation” and how wikis are always available. You could post from a smart phone or IPOD any time of the day or night, and check for responses from others in your group. I guess wikis are no different from webpages and can easily become stale if members stop posting. It probably needs to become a part of the classroom routine or procedure. It is great that it becomes a school-wide focus to keep wikis active. (candy would be a great motivator at our school as well) The code of conduct you mentioned would be an important management tool to convey your expectations to your students…something I know I wouldn’t have thought of. I really enjoyed all your great ideas. Thanks!
I agree that wiki’s are more popular now than they ever were. I personally had never use a wiki until this past year. It is a great way to share information. I know that as our group has worked together on projects it has made things easier to compile information and make it presentable. The accessibility of the wiki to all the members of the group can allow for a great deal of contribution from all members. The classroom benefits are great, too! I can see this being used anywhere from about 3rd grade up to 12th grade. I think that it would be a task for some teachers to monitor the use of the wiki by students to make sure that their contributions are appropriate. Also, maintaining interest could be difficult if it is not promoted within the classroom and school. The teacher using it must commit to the building of the wiki.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the beauty of social networking, in an education sense, is that this medium allows and obligates collaboration. I feel like when students see their work published, regardless of the format or medium, it gives them a sense of pride. This pride leads them to foster a sense of ownership over their own educations. As we all know, oftentimes students are more familiar with electronic formats as compared to printed ones. This allows them to become quickly oriented to the wiki platform. Great post!
ReplyDeleteBlake