First-Timer’s Learning Curve – Whipple

Should wikis be taught in classrooms? The answer is yes. With the shift in information gathering moving from hard copy to technology based, it is important for people to learn how that technology is shifting as well. Most people only know of Wikipedia’s existence and do not realize that they can create their own forum for whatever topic they so choose. If someone is creating a small-scale wiki, they can moderate the edits and turn it into something worthwhile. I think the biggest reason why people do not use wikis as much is because of their lack of knowledge on them.

Personally, I feared the wiki until this class. It was a foreign concept to me and therefore, I didn’t take the time to really explore its capabilities. Through this class, I’ve become more familiar with wiki use but I would like to have a tutorial unit or section each week to have some new aspect explained that I may not have found or explored yet. I think with proper teaching of the wiki, it definitely would become more popular and widespread. The trick is getting people comfortable enough with it to be able to teach it in the classroom. Otherwise, I think wikis in the classroom are a great idea for both teaching and learning aspects.

Wiki Lore and Politics in the Classroom – Martin & Dusenberry

Ahh, the debate of using wikis in a classroom. This particular article discusses whether wikis are more beneficial in certain types of classrooms or courses. The authors mention that wikis are great for collaborative learning and that they use them for group work.

When it comes to collaborative learning, I agree that wikis would be a great fit. However, they need to be utilized in a way that is clear to the students and in a way that benefits the students. Without clear directions or an endgame, the students will get lost in the process and likely neglect it. While it’s nice to have a group facilitator when doing group work, it should also be a round table effect. Meaning that each student in the group takes a turn being the facilitator on multiple aspects. In doing this, students will be “forced” to participate in a way that they may not have intended.

Individual learning is not the outlet for wiki use. I strongly believe that there is a lot more going into a wiki than one person can handle. The wiki would likely turn into a blog. Wikis are meant to be collaborative and therefore group work is the definition of a wiki.

Is there a wiki in this class? – Barton

In this article, Barton makes a valid point in that instructors are choosing not to use wikis in their classroom because of their bad reputation. Since a majority of people know Wikipedia and the “issues” behind it, they are hesitant to take part in them. Instructors do not want the lack of trust, lack of reputability, and the lack of free thinking. Barton feels like instructors need to recognize wikis as a collaborative learning experience for multiple users that create their own community has been overshadowed by the notion that wikis are stored date or files.

The biggest thing that I have learned through this course and through our two books, is that wikis are a space for collaborative learning. I’m beginning to think that instructors choose to not use wikis not just because of their fears stemming from Wikipedia, but from their own lack of familiarity with what wikis are. In Barton’s article, I think he accurately points out that people need to be taught the real use of a wiki in order to incorporate it effectively into their classroom.

My own lack of familiarity made the first week of this class very difficult. But through repeated use, I’ve gotten more comfortable. Now the trick is to get creative with it. Maybe that will be my next project.