Wikis and Collaborative Learning

Wikisummaries.org is a wiki I followed this week.  It that provides summaries of books as well as external links to study guides.   It is very user friendly and provides a significant amount of information on each book.  For example, I searched, “Harry Potter” and was taken to a page with a summary of each book in the series.  This would be a great tool to use in the classroom for students as well as teachers.  At the bottom of each book summary page, there are external links to lesson plans and study guides for each book chosen.

Hunt’s article discusses how wikis provide opportunities for the community to become, “reviewers, writers, and editors.”  This can become particularly valuable and motivational for students who want their voice heard by an authentic audience.  The audience is asked to participate, by providing additional information as well as questioning the work, if not authentic.  I think wikis are an excellent tool, providing multiple perspectives as well as audiences.  One concern I would have when using wikis in the classroom, would be the grading of revising and editing. 

The article by Wheeler, Yeoman, and Wheeler, discusses the pros and cons of using wikis in the classroom.  In a collaborative learning environment, teachers take the role of supportive resources, while the students become producers by constructing their own knowledge on the web. This can have both positive and negative effects on student learning.  For example, students may be vulnerable to taking in information from unreliable sources and believe it to hold truth.  There is a need for teachers to become models for their students by showing them how to participate in wikis.  

Richardson discusses the collaboration that wikis can provide when used in schools.  Wikipedia is often used as a quick resource for an inquiry question.  However, anyone can edit the information, which can question its reliability.  Richardson makes an argument that “When mistakes occur, or vandals strike, the collaborative efforts of the group set it straight, usually very quickly” (Richardson 2010, p. 56).  Wikispaces on the other hand, is a more reliable and safe wiki to use in the classroom.  As an educator, you can separate pages for students to collaborate on assigned topics, giving you more control of the workspace.