Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

I have seen Wikis. I have read about Wikis. I have talked about Wikis. I have used Wikipedia. I have never created a Wiki. After review of all of the reading resources, I really want to create a Wiki. The site Educause.edu describes Wikis as a web page that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a web browser and access to the Internet. This means that any visitor to the wiki can change its content if they desire.

I believe that Wikis are a great resource. The advantages of a Wiki are:

·         anyone can edit

·         easy to use and learn

·         Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a new edition or update information

·         people located in different parts of the world can work on the same document

·         the wiki software keeps track of every edit made and it's a simple process to revert back to a previous version of an article

·         widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users

·         the wiki has no predetermined structure - consequently it is a flexible tool which can be used for a wide range of applications

·         there are a wide range of open source software wiki's to choose from so licensing costs shouldn't be a barrier to installing an institutional wiki

(www.wikieducator.org)

I think utilizing a Wiki in the Media center is a great way to collaborate with students and faculty about books, lesson plans, available resources, and events and promotions. It is a way to allow more access to the Media Center with ideas and input from the school community. A Wiki provides 24/7 availability for those interested to work in partnership on discussing topics that many can benefit. I think a Wiki can be effectively utilized in a Media Center as it was in the article “A Wiki Gives a Worthy Book New Life,"  Amy Bowlan's School Library Journal article. In the article she describes how she used a Wiki to bring many resources together for teachers and students as they explored the book. After she could not find any available online resources  or lessons for the book, she decided to create a Wiki and use it in her lesson plan. Students can use the wiki to research, outline, draft, and edit a collaborative project on the book. They could also organize articles, site links, video, and other resources there for students locally and in other countries. Users can discuss the book, share papers for peer feedback, all using the wiki. Links and pictures can be added about some of the details in the book such as country and cultural information. I believe this is a highly effective way for students to review a book. Utilizing these type of activities brings higher level thinking as presented by Bloom’s higher order skills – things like creating and evaluating. 

Wiki Drawbacks – What’s Not To Love?

While Wikis are great, they do have some disadvantages:

·         Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example confidential documentation. However it is possible to regulate user access.

·         Open to SPAM and Vandalism if not managed properly. There are easy ways to restore a page however, and on many you must be logged in to edit pages so this reduces vandalism by automated spam bots.

·         Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate, but technologies to produce print versions of articles are improving

·         The flexibility of a wiki's structure can mean that information becomes disorganized. As a wiki grows, the community plans and administers the structure collaboratively.

(www.wikieducator.org)

As I reviewed the Wikis in the readings I found that all had some validity to creating an additional opportunity for students and those in the organizational environment to be able to express themselves on topics and provide input. Some students and faculty actually respond better in an online environment. Some feel their voices are heard louder. Some ideas that stood out were Chris Paris, lecturer at Vanderbilt Divinity, used a wiki in his “Bible in American Culture” class as a way to have students share pop culture references to the Bible, creating a shared class resource. Another idea - Compiling a manual or glossary of useful terms or concepts related to the course, or even a guide to a major course concept.

While I think that Wikis are great, they can become passive “storage cabinets” if allowed. I think the elements necessary to move them toward being active spaces for collaboration and not fall into the black hole of the internet are to 1. Create interesting topics the user community can respond. Have you ever heard…it’s all in the way you say it? Present resources and ideas in a creative manner and people will respond. We are in a technology world that seeks to grab our attention all day. Putting a spin on a topic creates value and enthusiasm. 2. Require users to post questions or ideas on the Wiki. Got a question, the creator should not answer it unless it was asked on the Wiki for all to review. 3. The creator must keep abreast with areas that have become passive. Remove it and refresh the idea when an old one dies. 

I have not created a Wiki, but plan to after completing this assignment. I am a first year Media Specialist at a high school and see many areas for improvement in relation to technology use by students and faculty. I am currently reworking the Media Center website. A Wiki would be a great addition to get the school community involved. I have not seen a school in the area using Wikis either, but mine will probably spark interest. I believe faculty would be very receptive to a new way for students to collaborate. I also think many students will be open to the idea of discussing topics online. I am in a Title 1 school and critical thinking skills need further development. Students can have issues writing effectively and solving problems. This is a way to require higher level thinking all while incorporating current technology, and giving them ownership into their Media Center.