The Forefront of Group Collaboration

Presentation by: Shea Eckert

Wikis show an entire group’s collaborated knowledge They allow specific information sharing with an appointed,

designated community Wikis are great for organizing responses, making edits,

sharing thoughts and collaborating ideas in a group Unlike email, they collect all related

correspondence in a central location This makes group collaboration

easier because all members have

access to the same documents They allow teachers, pupils, and parents

to contribute to the students’ education

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A student created text book? I had never before gave this any consideration, but a student created textbook may get the students more involved that any other textbook. They have to be extremely familiar with the material to create it!

Wetpaint seems a great place for educators to connect and share ideas. Having a central location to exchange methods and share problems, teachers can turn to this

website and find almost any topic they want to discuss. Wikis can let even parents get involved in education. Now, students can get information from their teachers as well as their parents, helping them learn even more. “The possibilities for wikis in the classsroom, in other words,

are as limitless and never-ending as wikis themselves.”

Wagner, V. (2008, August 29). Wikis in Education: Teaching Students to ShareKnowledge. Commerce Times. Retrieved from: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/wikis/64335.html?wlc=1221346529&wlc=122%201466788&wlc=1221590478&wlc=1257452756

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Wikis provide freedom of accessibility, multiple editors, rapid feedback and simplified HTMLs

The name “wiki” comes from the Hawaiian work “quick” Named by Ward Cunningham, who wanted to create “the

simplest database that would work” Using wikis in the classroom: Educators have more success by narrowing the wiki’s

scope Creating deadlines for the wiki prompts

students to work diligently and efficiently Wiki projects should have multiple

solutions, so students have room forcreativity and continued discussion

It may be better if teachers only join thewiki with it’s absolutely necessary, relying on students to monitor each otherClick the picture to read the article

Wikis are set apart by the ability to have various people contributing to the same document

It makes them different from blogs and

traditional HTML sites Some believe a wiki is never completed and

is always open to further revision How are wikis able to produce quality documents with so many contributors? Wiki communities are composed of people

with similar interests, so everyone has a

sense of ownership Multiple editors allow many opportunities

to check the document for accuracy Wikis are designed to correct damage; they

save copies of the old version each time a

new one is saved

Finding the origin of a word is like uncovering a fossil: exciting and informative! Learning “wiki” is Hawaiian for “quick” helped me see the basic premise of using a wiki.

The concept that a wiki is never complete is great for people who will use the document after the class is finished. They can continue to update it, keeping it current and accurate as time goes on.

Assigning a wiki topic that is narrow, yet has multiple solutions, is a perfect way for teachers to optimize their use of wikis. It lets students be creative without straying too far from the subject of intent.

“As a constructivist learning activity, wikis allow students to “own” their learning experience in an online collaborative environment.”

Arreguin, C. (2004). Wikis. Encyclopedia of Educational Technology, vol. numberunavailable. Retrieved from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/wikis/index.htm

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Features that make wikis unique and useful: Anyone can change anything: anyone with access to the

document can edit the content Wikis use simplified hypertext markup: they use a

markup code that strips HTML to its simplest elements WikiPagesAreMashedTogether: This allows for quick

page creation and easy linking to other pages Content is ego-less, time-less, and never finished:

anonymity is common, but not required; pages are organized by content; and entries are constantly being edited

They also keep technical support and training to a minimum, since the group decides how the wiki functions

Wikis are places for brainstorming, bulletin boards, collections of links, and meeting spaces

Additionally, they can do more complex tasks like design a course management system or organize a job posting site

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Being reminded that Wikipedia is a wiki is an eye-opening reminder that millions of people use wikis every day! We find them useful, reliable, and part of our daily lives.

Technical support seems essential now, as our society becomes increasingly reliant on increasingly complex technology. Wikis’ simple format and emphasis on security by the community is a welcome respite from the mainstream

As an emerging technology itself, a wiki is a great place to introduce other emerging technologies. The ability to continually update, easily hyperlink, and share experiences make wikis an ideal medium for this type of learning.

“That vision of a genuinely interactive environment rather than ‘a glorified television channel’…[is] churning away more

actively than ever, in a vivid and chaotic Web-within-the- web, via an anarchic breed of pages known as ‘wikis.’”

Lamb, B. (2004). Wide Open Spaces: Wikis, Ready or Not. EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 39. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume39/WideOpenSpacesWikisReadyorNot/157925

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At the forefront of technology in the classroom, wikis give educators the opportunity to create a community of contributors, rather than a classroom of spectators.

Using their simple, user-friendly format and their expanding list of potential uses in the classroom, teachers can use wikis in classrooms today to give students the opportunity for educational growth tomorrow.