Using Wikis for Teaching

Steve Wheeler and colleagues at the University of Plymouth have made two over their research papers on the use of wikis in education available online.

The good, the bad and the wiki: Evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learning explores the potential for wiki-type open architecture software to promote and support collaborative learning through the use of student- created content.

Using wikis to promote quality learning in teacher training discusses writing as a social practice and speculates on how wikis might be used to promote higher quality academic writing and support collaborative learning.

Their conclusion:
"collaboration, rather than competition, should be emphasised as a key aim of any wiki-based activity. Students should also be encouraged to contribute to the wiki outside of classroom contact hours, and to share their thoughts, useful resources and discoveries as they generate them. When in class, wiki content creation should be an activity integrated into the fabric of lessons. Teachers should act as moderators rather than instructors, and may need to restrain themselves from direct action, in order to promote free and democratic development of content according to the principles embodied in the ‘wisdom of the masses’."