Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment - Western Washington University's Teaching and Learning Center
Instructional Technologies in Education
Wikis
What are they?
Wikis are Web pages that can be viewed and modified by anyone with a Web browser and Internet access. Even though this means that any visitor can change the web page "on the fly," wikis are surprisingly robust.
Other typical characteristics of a wiki include the following:
- Allows users to interact with the familiar interface of a web page
- Permits asynchronous communication and group collaboration
- Users can have both author and editor privileges
- Typically a "history" feature allows them to return to a previously-saved state when needed, and to view the evolution of thought processes as students interact with the site
- Users can incorporate multimedia, making them an easy method for gathering, sharing, and presenting student work
Source: Educause Learning Initiative, EDUCAUSE
See also: 7 things you should know about...Wikis (PDF) and Wikipedia's Wiki page
How are they used in education?
- Wikis provide space for creating simple websites, debating on course topics or readings, writing a journal, group authoring for project work, developing a project with peer-review, writing collaboratively, etc.
- E-portfolios
- 7 things you should know about...Digital Storytelling (PDF)
- Learning E-portfolio, Edutech Wiki
- Sample Wiki Uses:
- Creating Articles Assignment, Univ. of Rhode Island
- Group Wiki Assignment, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
What are some resources?
- Strategies:
- Evaluating Student Work in a Wiki, Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning
- Teaching Social Software with Social Software: A report, Ulises A. Mejias
- Wiki Ethics:
- DavisWiki.org, wiki for the City of Davis, California
Where is there help?
- WWU:
- Blackboard Wiki Tool - WWU's course management system, Blackboard, currently has an integrated Wiki Tool. Within the control panel of a course, an instructor can "Configure Wiki Tool" and then students can access it via the Blackboard course under the "Tools" navigational area. For further assistance, contact ATUS.
- Free wiki services:
- WikiMatrix - compare wiki software
- @Wiki - hosted, includes contextual ads
- MediaWiki - must host elsewhere (PHP), strong features (same software used for Wikipedia)
- Wikispaces for Educators - free wiki host providing community wiki spaces, visual page editing, and discussion areas
- Wikispaces examples, Columbia University
- How-to Documentation:
- Creating and Editing Pages in a Wiki (PDF), University of Minnesota
- Wikis in Plain English (YouTube video)
