A wiki is a website or
blog space that is collaboratively edited and maintained by a group of people (Maloy et
al., 2011). Wikis allow for groups both small and large to coordinate their efforts to
complete the set task. The blog will explore some of the main reasons why Teachers should
use Wikis as a collaborative learning tool in the classroom.
Collaborative
learning is a form of peer-mediated learning, which involves students working
together in small groups to accomplish shared goals. In regular group cooperative learning
activities, teachers are required to consider influencing factors such as group
size, composition of ability and gender and ways to enhance group discussion (Pagliano &
Gillies, 2012) .
Effective groups are suggested to have 3 or 4 members to ensure that all
students are actively involved not able to slip through the cracks (Pagliano & Gillies, 2012) . It is
also preferred that teacher arranges groups of mixed ability and genders as
they will more likely promote productive discussions among students. If the
teacher was to implement Wikis into the classroom, these influences would need
to be considered. But then again with the opportunity to involve large groups
of students, it is anticipated that there will be a range of genders and
learning abilities to compliment each other.
Students
require a range of social skills to facilitate cooperation in a collaborative
learning situation. Such as learning how to work well with one another,
understanding other people’s perspectives, being able to positively receive and
give feedback to group members (Pagliano & Gillies, 2012) . Some
students that would normally be too shy to express their own opinion and play
an active role in a collaborative learning situation will probably be able to express
their ideas more freely and confidently through a Wiki.
Class activities and assignments take on new meaning when students realize that their work is going to be seen by more people than just the teacher (Maloy
et al., 2011). Students are found to be more motivated to contribute to Wikis
not only because of their familiarity with the Internet (Teehan, 2010). But
also because it gives them a chance to publish, collaborate on, and share
information they deem as valuable. Teehan (2010) states that wikis introduce
students to a new level of exposure, and students see the creation of a wiki as
a real-world, noteworthy, and grown-up endeavor. Subsequently, students put more effort into not
only the grammar and spelling, but also ensuring they display originality, and
higher-level thinking skills in the investigation and organization of the
content (Teehan, 2010).
An issue
that all teachers must consider when introducing students to online programs is
that they are guaranteed a safe and secure environment, protected from online
predators and unsuitable materials (Teehan, 2010). Teehan (2010) suggests that
teachers must explain to parents how and why their child will use a
collaborative wiki to ensure its success. Safety will not be an issue with
Wikis because you can choose to make student wikis private, “only allowing
access to parents, peer and teachers authorized to collaborate with students”
(Teehan, 2010).
As Teehan
(2010) states that there will always be a “bottom line” when it comes to
education. It will require a fair amount of additional work on the teacher
behalf but it is all worth it knowing you will provide opportunities for a
great collaborative learning experience.
Learn more about using Wikispaces Classroom
References
Maloy,
R., Verock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2011). Communicating
and Networking with Websites, blogs and more. In Transferring learning
with new technologies (pp. 206-239). New Jersey: Pearson.
Pagliano, P., & Gillies, R. M. (2012). Inclusive Teaching
Practices. In A. Ashman, & J. Elkins, Education for Inclusion and
Diversity (pp. 244-248). NSW: Pearson.
Teehan, K. (2010). Wikis : The Educator's Power Tool.
Calfornia: ABC-CLIO.
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