Using Wikis for Online Collaboration: The Power of the Read-Write Web

by James A. West, Margaret L. West

How can online instructors and course designers' instruction harness the popular Web 2.0 tool, the wiki, for successful collaboration and learning outcomes? This book focuses on using wikis in the active learning processes that are the hallmark of collaborative learning and constructivism. It provides both the pedagogical background and practical guidelines, tools, and processes for accomplishing these goals with special emphasis on wikis and other collaborative design tools. This book supports the effective design and delivery of online courses through the integration of collaborative writing and design activities.

Genres: Education

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2008

Reviews

[Sebah Al-Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

أعرف القليل عن الويكيز ، لكن إمكانيات هذه التقنية في التعليم تبدو كبيرة جدا . تقنية تستحق البحث .

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"Collaborative writing tools, such as wikis, are well suited to supporting meaningful learning in online courses." (p. xiii)

"Although wikis hold great promise for online learning, without planning, design, and effective facilitation, a wiki is no more than an empty Web page." (p. xiii)


"Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs, wikis, social networking software, media sharing, and others, have been instrumental in shifting the Web to its new identity as a collaborative work space, or digital commons, where “ we can all meet to read and write. " (p. 1)

"In the digital commons, online students have the capacity to become collaborative partners in the knowledge-building process." (p. 1)

"They [learners in the twenty-first century:]expect activities and content to be relevant to the real world" (p. 2)


"Wikis are designed to help groups collaborate, share, and build online content, and are especially useful for distance learners who are separated by time and place. Wikis present an approach to group writing and editing that is more effi cient than forwarding e - mail attachments with tracked changes, a method that supports only one editor at a time and can create issues with students having multiple and conflicting versions of the same document." (p. 3)


"Blogs are well suited to such online activities as reflection, creative expression, and journaling." (p. 4)


"In online courses, blogs and discussion boards are best used as communication tools, while the wiki serves as the learning team ’ s collaborative work space. The overall purpose of a wiki is to support the team ’ s needs for building a shared understanding of a topic, goal, or objective; to support team processes such as planning, research, and problem solving; and to create team outcomes through a shared document or set of documents." (p. 5)


"Wikis are best suited for collaborative activities, especially those that are dynamic and nonlinear in construction and will result in a shared product or outcome." (p. 6)


"The ultimate goal of online education is to provide experiences to students that lead to meaningful learning. Educators today understand that meaningful learning cannot be accomplished solely through passive activities such as reading and listening." (p. 21)


"A real advantage of a wiki as a teaching tool is its transparency. Almost all wiki tools offer group members and owners the ability to monitor contributions and review the wiki history. The mere fact that students know that the instructor is able to view which, and how many, students accessed the wiki, and when revisions were made, increases the likelihood that each group member will contribute." (pp. 53-54)

"Successful wiki integration requires preparation, planning, and management." (p. 57)

[Educaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is helpful for figuring out how to incorporate wikis into an educational application for collaborative efforts. The information incorporated within the book also lends itself to references on the Internet that can be equally as helpful.