Wiki Workshopfor UHL 2332

Academic Report Writing

Definition

Wiki is computer (server) software/an authoring tool which allows users to create a fully editable website containing hyper-linked pages. Visitors to the website can easily read, edit or remove content, structure or design of the website, often without the need for registration. This encourages public dissemination and creation of knowledge online. Wiki is a conducive authoring environment for collaborative work and data storage.

Advantages of Wiki

• Many free, available Wiki software• Simple installation of Wiki software • Publishing ideas on the Net is so easy• Conducive environment for collaborative work• Ease of public access to information• “Freedom of speech”• Empowering• Growth• Users define how their processes and groups

will develop

Disadvantages of Wiki

• “SoftSecurity”

• Information may lack authenticity and accuracy

• Open to online vandalism

• Lacks authority and credibility

• Explosion of plagiarism

• Lack of hierarchical organization and directed organization

Wiki for Writing

• First - open two windows/tabs• Second – on one window/tab, go to your

email account provider/the email you will be using for wiki notification, etc

• Third – on another window/tab, go to http://www.wikispaces.com

• You will get the following page

Fill in to set up your Wiki site

Email account you are using

Fill in the info here before confirming your email

Either go to your email account straight or fill in the create new wiki below. I suggest you go to email account first

Click on the link to confirm account

You will get this page if you created your account earlier but you needto confirm registration sent to your email so that you can have full access to your space

You will get this page if you did not create your account earlier but you Need to confirm your registration sent to your email so that you can havefull access to your space

TabsAction bar

Navigation bar

Account info

Click on New Page(on the Action bar)

Type the name of the page you want to createand click on Create

Type the name of the page you want to createand click on Save

Your page has been created

New Page – click on it. It’s hyperlinked to the page

Try to edit your page. Click on the EDIT button

Edit Page Function

Try typing something on your page.After typing something on your page click SAVE

Floating editing tool bar

History Function

Click on the History button. Each edit can be clearly seen. Info provided of each edit (date, time,author, deleted/inserted text

Inserted Text

Deleted Text

To see all edits to the site

Click on Recent Changes button. Each edit can be clearly seen. Info provided of each edit (page, date & author)

Manage your Wiki

Click on Manage Wiki button. Please explore on your own. Tips – explore look & feel, usage statistics, space usage, notifications

Notifications

One thing you should explore is the Notification function – helps you keep tabs of your students’ work/revisions.

Anchor/Lecturer’s Wiki(To hyperlink your wiki to all your students’ wiki – ask your groups of students to click on Invite People (Manage Wiki)

Type in the email of people you want to invite

My Account

Click on My Account button. Then click on the Dashboard. All the hyperlinked wiki sites you belong to will be listed.

Your Wiki sites

Click on the name of the site and you will go straight to your students’ wiki site.

REMINDER

• If you want to see the changes/revisions of one section of the report, you can ask students to put each section on separate pages and just edit it each time they make changes/revisions .

• If you want to see the changes of the whole report then have the students type the whole report on one page and just edit it each time they make changes/revisions.

Research Areas

• Peer/ Teacher Feedback• Effect of feedback on revision• Peer vs Teacher feedback• Feasibility of Wiki as an authoring tool/aid in the

writing classroom• Wiki in developing writing skills• Wiki as a CMC tool• Students’ errors in writing analytical report, etc