I already new that wikis could have a powerful and effective impact on the learning process. The articles and resources only confirmed many of the things I already knew. One negative point about wikis is the same as the most positive point in wikis, which is the ability that anyone can go on the wiki to delete, edit, and change information. This can be a wonderful thing because it will allow for those who are not as vocal and aggressive in a social setting to still contribute to classroom discussions and projects. This can be a negative aspect in the sense that if a person provides erroneous information , that data can be made available to the public and for free. I remember seeing articles in which someone edited information in a wiki, (Wikipedia) pertaining to a famous person and the erroneous information found its ways into the newspapers and other media outlets. This link provides a story in which a comedian was falsely reported deceased, http://lostremote.com/false-posting-on-wikipedia-reports-sinbad-dead_b2363 . There is a trust issue involved as to who can edit information in a wiki. You have to trust that what is being made public and available on the wiki is also valid and true, the article 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis, discusses this to some extent and I totally agree with it. I will also admit that I use Wikipedia at least once per week, so I rely heavily on this wiki and normally trust the information that is on the site.
After reading the articles, I was excited about the possibilities of using the wiki to post information related to some school activities in which I am a part of. It is a great place for students to post assignments, as they won't have to be plagued with "losing" their homework because all they had to do was post the assignment. I would like to see more schools use wikis to share information, as a new way to promote learning.
Dear Crystal,
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned, posting assignments and schools sharing information could be very useful. Students today get bored of paper and pencil activities so anything digital-related can spark some interest in a student it seems.
The web-based wikis alow for a multi-sensory approach to learning and sharing information. Wiki-pals (like penpals) could happen if one school contacted another school with a wiki across the globe. Comparisons and contrasts could be made if photos and other pertinent information about each of the countries have appropriate links to share.
Collaboration is my favorite part of a wiki. As a mildly shy student in a face-to-face class, I am more willing to contribute when I can have more time outside of class to share a link or otherwise to a wiki.
-ASD
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteOne of things that I like about Wikis is the ability to see who has edited what and when. This feature allows monitoring of who is spending time on the Wiki and who has posted something once and not returned. This thought brings up the next point you made that caught my eye which was that the wiki's biggest positive is also the biggest negative - anyone can and will edit the content. I think that when using a wiki for class work that is a group effort, that needs to be addressed.
Personally, I find wikis to be wonderful - easy to use and as Andree pointed out, it allows for even the most shy person to contribute in a stress free environment.
I am not sure I agree with the idea that Andree posted that adding technology to assignments can increase participation. The students at my school are from a low income environment and many don't have computers at home or anyone to take them to the public library during the day - I guess what I am saying is that it can be a double edge sword. While it may increase interest, we are assuming that everyone has internet access outside of school, or the time in school to use it. While most do, and I understand your point perfectly - it works really well in my daughter's school, not everyone is that well off.
Thanks for both for your posts - they caused me to stop and consider issues I hadn't before.
Ingrid