Wikis

What are Wikis?

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 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.
• Sample Wiki Uses:
• 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom, Smart Teaching.
• Editing Wikipedia to Improve Writing to a General Audience, University of Michigan.

What are some resources?

• Strategies:
• Evaluating Student Work in a Wiki, Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning.
• The STOLEN Principle for Using Wikis Educationally, Various authors.
• Teaching Social Software with Social Software: A report, Ulises A. Mejias.
• Wikify Your Course: Designing and Implementing a Wiki for Your Learning Environment, Educause.
• Wikipedia Education Program, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Where is there help?

• WWU:
• Canvas Wiki Tool - WWU's course management system, Canvas, currently has the ability to create academic wikis through resources pages that students are allowed to edit.
• Free wiki services:
• Google Sites - easy to add members, form-based.
• MediaWiki - must host elsewhere (PHP), strong features (same software used for Wikipedia).
• PBworks - online team collaboration software.
• WikiMatrix - compare wiki software.
• How-to Documentation:
  • Creating and Editing Pages in a Wiki (PDF), University of Minnesota.
  • Wikis in Plain English (YouTube video).