‘I DON’T CARE DO UR OWN PAGE!’ A case study of using wikis for collaborative work in a UK secondary school

Abstract

Alongside other forms of social software, wikis have been heralded as supporting more collaborative and democratic teaching and learning practices. This paper explores, through a case study approach, the use of wikis to support a collaborative research project undertaken in a UK secondary school. Findings are analysed in the context of research on social and collaborative learning, using theories of Communities of Practice and Knowledge‐Building Networks. The study identifies tensions between views of learning and knowledge‐creation as collaborative and learner‐driven, with students’ views of learning, drawn from their experience of the broader economy of education. The role of assessment, the importance of authentic activities, and the teacher’s role are all seen as important factors in the facilitation or otherwise of a collaborative classroom. Rather than asking how schools can make best use of social software, this study raises the question of how social software prompts a debate about the value of collaborative learning and ways to cultivate attitudes and organise education that may be more conducive to such collaborative practices.

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