Blackboard: Wikis
Wikis are a collaborative tool that allow students to contribute and modify one or more pages of related material, including text, graphics, files, and links. The wiki tool can be shared in a variety of ways between whole and small groups of students.
Wikis in Plain English is a short movie describing what a wiki is and how it can be used in a collaborative process.
Use to collaboratively build knowledge
A primary goal for using a wiki is to build a shared repository of knowledge—a one-stop area where information is searched, updated, and accessed easily and quickly.
Use according to your instructional needs and goals
You can use wikis as course content or graded assignments, such as:
- A glossary
- A white paper
- Class summaries and outlines.
- A resources repository
- Lab experiments
- Student solutions for scenarios and case studies.
- Group project presentations
Ideas for using blogs and wikis in your course from Duke Center for Instructional Technology
http://cit.duke.edu/2009/01/blogs-and-wikis-in-your-course/
Pros
Collaborative Learning
- Wikis allow course members to contribute and modify one or more pages of course related materials, providing a means of sharing and collaboration. Users can create and edit pages quickly, while tracking changes and additions, allowing for effective collaboration between multiple writers.
- Wikis can also help build a community of collaboration and learning by increasing social interaction during the exchange of information.
Social Construction of Knowledge
- Used effectively, wikis promote social construction of knowledge and fulfill the “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education” identified by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson as described here (www.podnetwork.org/publications/teachingexcellence/10-11/V22_N5_Eggleston.pdf).
Cons
Needs scaffolding.
- Similar to discussion boards, effective wikis take time because they need to be effectively scaffolded through clear expectations and monitoring
Wikis are sometimes unorganized or difficult to navigate.
