Teaching with Technology: Wikis in EducationJames Baldwin Information Resource CenterDorine Takam, IRC Assistant/New Media Manager, MP Lib. Sc. October 30, 2013

Part1: Introduction to Wikis

• What is a wiki?• Best practices in Education• Examples• Benefits & potential

problems

What is a Wiki?1995 – First Wiki by Ward Cunningham "WikiWikiWeb" for library of "software patterns."

"Wiki" is from Hawaiian word wiki or wiki-wiki, meaning "quick”

What is a Wiki? A short introduction: “Wikis in Plain

English”

Available at http://youtu.be/QL9p-_QsXU4

What is a Wiki?Definition 1: An online collaborative tool that allows more than one person to work on a webpage and instantly publish it.Definition 2: A web-based collaborative communication and information creation tool.Definition 3: A collaborative website whose users can add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor.

Best Practices in Education

1. Resource Creation: Virtual field trips, wikibook, study guides, glossary…

2. Student Participation: Exam review, peer editing, get feedback, notes sharing…

3. Group projects: organize ideas, fan clubs, track projects…

4. Student Interaction: data collection, mock-debate, reviews/opinion sharing…

Best Practices in Education

3. For the Classroom: FAQ, scrapbook, calendar, policies…

4. Community: recipe book, local history, news…

5. Other: student leave their books at school, parents review…

6. For the teacher: professional contacts, courses website, publishing work….

Best Practices in Education

Video link: http://youtu.be/1pR5yogCmkA

Examples of Wikis for Education

• http://wikisineducation.wikifoundry.com/page/Wikis+in+the+Classroom

• http://6thgrade-07.pbworks.com/w/page/1071815/FrontPage

• http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis

Examples http://mrsanderson10.pbworks.com/w/page/33263525/FrontPagehttp://1000names.wikispaces.com/homehttp://kaysgerman.wikifoundry.comhttp://wikisineducation.wikifoundry.com/photos Popular wikis: Wikipedia, WikiHow, WikiTravel

BenefitsSimple to create, to use, and freeEnables collaboration (with group, class, University, world) Engages students in knowledge construction and sharing Offers advanced tracking features such as RSS feeds and page histories Values student work by potentially distributing it beyond the classroom: it is a website Values teachers work and professionalism

Potential DifficultiesNeed of Internet connection – tech based toolComplicates the evaluation of individual effort Provides opportunities for outside public feedback Intimidates less tech-savvy collaborators Setting clear objectives/roles/policiesProne to vandalism, to faulty knowledge

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Mostly used Wiki platforms for education1. http://www.wikispaces.com2. http://pbworks.com/

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

• For Wikispaces, a self training tutorial is available at:

http://youtu.be/X3P7n7C2ZqE

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

• For pbworks.com, start from the environment reserved for education:

http://pbworks.com/education

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Available at http://youtu.be/QY3kJKzhG8U

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

Part 2: Steps in Creating a Wiki

• Play, explore and use it!!!

• Browsing: http://ircsocialmedia2013.pbworks.com/

Part 3: Tutorial1. Create a wiki for our class. 2. Visit http://yaounde.usembassy.gov/

ameng.html 3. From the above link or other online sources, share the following content type within your virtual community: 2 websites, 2 books or articles, one video and one picture

Questions?

Contact• Like our Facebook Page at

https://www.facebook.com/yaounde.usembassy

• Send us an email at: yaoundeirc2@state.gov

• Call us: 22201500 Ext. 4340