A Successful Pedagogical Experiment:

Using Wikis in Academic Lectures

Gabriela GROSSECKSenior lecturer, Ph.D.

West University of Timisoara

12-13 April eLSE07Bucharest

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

What is a wiki?

• Wiki =quick (in Hawaiian)

• A website in which content can be created and edited by a community of users (often without need for special privileges)

• Software that allows people with no knowledge of HTML or other

programming languages to create and/or edit a website

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

The largest wiki: WiKIPEDIA• Best example is

Wikipedia• Wikipedia is:

– A free encyclopedia– Multilingual – Web-based – Written collaboratively

by volunteers• Most articles can be

changed by anyone • Wikipedia has more than

3 million articles

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Wiki technology

• Wiki ≠ Wikipedia• Enables people to work

collaboratively• You can learn to use a

wiki in 30-60 min.• Many different programs

to choose from• There are several free

sources for wikis (~200)

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Why wiki? / Why not wiki?• Easy to use

– Web-based– Simple software

commands• Anyone can make

changes• Flexible and easy to add

content to• Harness collective

intelligence!• Can help develop a

culture of sharing and working together (cf. open source)

• The success of the Wikipedia may not necessarily be replicated elsewhere.

• Vandalism and spam• Disorganized • Too open/ not enough

control of content• There may be copyright

and other legal issues regarding collaborative content

• There is not (yet) a standard lightweight Wiki markup language

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Ways to use Wiki in education• Students can use a wiki to develop

research projects.• Students can add summaries of

their thoughts from the prescribed readings.

• A wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts.

• Teachers can use wikis as a knowledge base.

• Wikis can be used to map concepts (brainstorming, linked network of resources).

• A wiki can be used as a presentation tool in place of conventional software.

• Wikis are tools for group authoring.

Victoria A. Davis, 2006

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Why I wanted to use a wiki

• Students experience a technology they probably hadn’t encountered before

• Students learn about collaborative “sense-making”

• Huge potential for building community

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Using Wikis to Build Learning Communities

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Why follow the “wiki way”?• achieving knowledge in efficient

use of the Internet• developing relational and

communication competences in virtual space

• forming of specific attitudes regarding the Web 2.0 technologies (wiki, blog, RSS, social bookmarking etc.)

• developing/improving digital competences for individuals and groups

• the students can exercise their most important competence - the competence of creating content

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Why follow the “wikispaces way”?• organizing, cooperating and interpersonal

relation competences

• developing formative and informative valences for the students, critical thinking and creativity

• involving the students in taking decisions

• participating learning and learning by discovering in on-line environment

• building a learning community!

Gabriela Grosseck, 12-13 April 2007 eLSE07 Bucharest

Lessons learned

• Don’t be afraid to experiment!

• Be flexible!• Get feedback from

users!• Don’t get frustrated!• Learn how to use

this powerful content management!!

Q&A

Thank you !

Gabriela GROSSECKWest University of Timisoara

Faculty of Sociology and PsychologyDepartment of Foreign Languages

and Social Informatics4 Bd. V. Parvan, office 029

300223 Timisoara, Romaniaphone: 0040-256-592.266

fax: 0040-256-592.320email: ggrosseck@socio.uvt.ro

blog: http://grosseck.blogspot.com