Wikis enable students to create learning objects for the reuse and benefit of students in different classes and/or locations. In this way, the learning is an ongoing process, allowing students to continue to build on each others ideas and knowledge in order to reach the object of their collaboration: the common goal. The most well known Wiki in the world is Wikipedia. The Make Way for Wikis article by Eric Oatman is extremely helpful in providing an overall view on the way Wikis function and usefulness in the education systems in the present day (Oatman, 2005).
To illustrate the ways electronic communications should be used by teachers in their teaching, Maloy demonstrates five key points (mind map was created by myself to summarise (Maloy,2010)’s categories in a clear, visual manner):
The majority of these implements have proved to be very beneficial to education methods but there are some educators in the world who feel number 2: “Sharing information”, presents problems. Usually the learning environment is one where students and teachers work and interact together in a physical classroom. One of the common objections voiced by individuals is that the production of websites and wikis is that it can put a harsh demand on teachers to dedicate a lot of their time to being available out of the classroom in order to collaborate with their students and give them ongoing feedback on their work (Maloy, 2010). Katherine Deibel argues that ‘Wikis can be a powerful tool for supporting ongoing student discussions even in the face of challenges due to time and physicality’ (Edward F. Gehringer, 2008)
Maloy’s article goes on to say that ‘Collaborative learning happens when students work together on different parts of a problem and discover key concepts and information for themselves’ (Maloy, 2010) and because Wikis can be accessed and altered by anyone in another context, potentially contributing information that may be inaccurate.
(Corwinpress, 2009)
However, Maloy suggests a strategy to overcome this potential issue by ‘holding online office hours’ (Maloy, 2010) where the teacher and students allocate a certain time that they can communicate and form discussions and answer questions the other may have, all via use of the internet. In this way they can connect anytime and anywhere. I believe in order for a teacher to do this, they must maintain strong teaching ideals and a dedication so as not to let the class down. Likewise if the students are aware that their teacher is making this effort to collaborate, they will remain engaged and will be less likely to lose focus on the subject.
I see Wikis as a two-sided characteristic; they cannot all be the work of one individual. Knowing that there is another person on the other side of your work allows the Wiki to continually be built upon in a collaborative sense. I think once teachers open their minds to the possibilities that electronic communications open up they will see aspects of leaning that they are able to extend far beyond their own traditional classroom.
My Thoughts
Although Wikis have been the object of some criticisms, I believe it is important to note that they were designed especially for the purpose of an online tool, allowing individuals from around the world to access its information at any time depending on their situation. I feel the main disadvantage associated with Wikis is that anyone can submit his or her thoughts and research which may have potential to not be necessarily accurate.
‘The criticism is not the Wikis themselves but the individuals who use them’ (Howell, 2012). The Web also offers ‘virtually unlimited sources of poorly presented or even wrong information. While students are learning to search for supplementary material, it is important for them to develop the habit of evaluating what they find’ (Edward F. Gehringer, 2008). I agree that being able to determine fact from incorrect content is an essential skill that everyone should possess. It’s difficult to learn but certainly not impossible.
To ensure the content remains correct, constant and collaborative, adjusting the privacy of your Wiki may make the difference. Both sides MUST ‘consider what is posted publically’ (Howell, 2012) and be aware of how much personal information is accessible and displayed on their Wikis. A way to counteract this is to again, review privacy settings. In my opinion I think Wikis are very useful for homework, assignment and ongoing discussion purposes outside the classroom.
However they are not something I would too often use in my own day-to-day classroom. Perhaps every now and then to see how students are finding the work but certainly not as the main focus in lessons, where no other content is covered. One way I would love to use Wikis in the future would be to create one where only teachers have access. Here one could receive tips, ideas, and inspiration from others and incorporate those into their teachings, helping other teachers with their own contributions in the process. I think teachers should be cautious not to fall into the trap of overusing Wikis and be aware of possible problems if their lessons are structured completely around them so they can incorporate the main focus of the lesson into the class.
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/09/19/wiki_web_C.jpg (New Ways Of Thinking For New Ways Of Learning, 2013)
Further Reading-Tutorial using DiscoveryMissions Reflection
An excellent example of a Wiki is DiscoveryMissions, ‘A user-generated educational resource and facilitate a student-centered learning experience’ (Kidd, 2013). I found the tutorial on DiscoveryMissions proved to be very engaging. We were divided into groups and presented with a specific question and common mission goal. This triggered a discussion on the topic where each member could contribute and compare ideas. This was a great way for me to communicate with certain classmates, an opportunity I hadn’t really experienced until that point. By building on each others’ suggestions and personal experiences, not only was this a way to collaborate and in doing so meet new people but also feeling like I had a role to play and my own importance within the group. I felt that it empowered me.
To assist in answering the question, we each compared what sorts of technologies our high schools were fortunate enough to utilise. For example, I live in a small town in New South Wales and despite being so isolated our local primary school of 50 children, was extremely technologically advanced, (having a laptop for each student, IWBs in each of the 5/6 classrooms, and a radio station). In comparison, some of my group members whose educations were completed at much larger schools may not have enjoyed such a saturation of technology.
Overall it was a rewarding tutorial as my group members were equally as surprised as I was at their larger schools taking advantage of technology to a lesser extent than mine. Furthermore, we were able to continue working as a group and constructing more ideas throughout the week even though we were all contributing at different times in complete different places. What I didn’t agree with in DiscoveryMissions is how the teacher acts only as guidance. It’s good that they’re there to assist the students ‘put in charge of’ (Kidd, 2013) the mission if needed but they mustn’t completely be a ‘guide on the side’ (Kidd, 2013) and not help at all or absent from it. My view is that, providing teachers are constantly monitoring their students’ work, then the aim and purpose of the DiscoveryMission will be maintained.
References
Corwinpress. (2009, June 12th). Using Wikis In The Classroom. Retrieved May 24th, 2013, from YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pR5yogCmkA
Edward F. Gehringer, L. C. (2008). Wikis-Collaborative Learning For CS Education. New York: ACM Magazines . 379-380
Howell, J. (2012). Teaching With ICT: Digital Pedagogies For Collaboration And Creativity. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. 156-158
Kidd, P. O. (2013). DiscoveryMissions: An Educational Tool For Web 2.0. Chesapeake: Proceedings of Society For Information Technology And Teacher Education International Conference. 4008-4012 New Ways Of Thinking For New Ways Of Learning. (2013). WIKIS. Retrieved May 24th, 2013, from Wikispaces: https://newwaysteaching.wikispaces.com/WIKIS
Oatman, E. (2005). Make Way For Wikis. New York: Media Source. 52-54
Robert W. Maloy, R.-E. V.-O. (2010). Transforming Learning With New Technologies. Pearson Higher ed USA. 206-239
Yun-Ke Chang, M. A.-A. (2011). Collaborative Learning In Wikis. Education For Information , 291-303.
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