Educational Wikis: features and selection criteria

Linda Matula Schwartz · Sharon E. Clark · Mary Cossarin · Jim Rudolph

170 citations0/0 files storedThe International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning

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Wikis in Education and Collaboration Open Education and E-Learning Educational Technology in Learning

Abstract

This report discusses the educational uses of the 'wiki,' an increasingly popular approach to online community development.Wikis are defined and compared with 'blogging' methods; characteristics of major wiki engines are described; and wiki features and selection criteria are examined. Defining WikisAccording to Leuf and Cunningham (2001), creators of the original wiki concept, "a wiki is a freely expandable collection of interlinked webpages, a hypertext system for storing and modifying information -a database, where each page is easily edited by any user with a formscapable Web browser client" (p.14).Content can be directly linked to that found in other wikis (interwiki) and in Web documents.Browser-based access means that neither special software nor a third-party webmaster is needed to post content.Content is posted immediately, eliminating the need for distribution with the associated risk of virus transmission.Participants can be notified about new content, and they review only new content.Low graphic use results in pages that load quickly.Access is flexibleall that is needed is a computer with a browser and Internet connection.Modular construction means that wikis can be simple or complex to meet user needs and skill levels.Mattison (2003) states that "a wiki can be a blog, but a blog does not have to be a wiki."Wiki use is often compared with blogging.Blogs, or weblogs, are chronological online journals written mainly by individuals (although group blogs exist), to which readers post comments.The main differences between the two approaches relate to notification of new content, editing format, and structure.Blogs typically use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to sort information and alert users to new content.Wikis usually use email notification.For students, an advantage of blogs is the use of 'What You See Is What You Get' (WYSIWYG) editing.Wikis usually employ a simplified markup formatting (although there are also WYSIWYG wikis).A N.B.Owing to the speed with which Web addresses are changed, the online references cited in this report may be outdated.They can be checked at the Athabasca University software evaluation site: http://cde.athabascau.ca/softeval/.

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2001The Wiki Way: Quick Collaboration on the Web 2002Supporting communities of practice A survey of community-oriented technologies

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2009Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences 2010Evaluating the use of a wiki for collaborative learning 2009Factors affecting the way students collaborate in a wiki for English language learning 2012Using Wiki in teacher education: Impact on knowledge management processes and student satisfaction 2009Wikis to support the “collaborative” part of collaborative learning 2006Is there a space for the teacher in a WIKI?2007Implementing wiki software for supplementing online learning 2005Employing Wikis for Online Collaboration in the E-Learning Environment: Case Study

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