The days of microfiche and card catalogs are long gone. Volumes of encyclopedias can still be found in many libraries worldwide but the amount of dust on some provide details of their infrequent use. With the trends in online technology, the tools of old have been replaced with new, more collaborative tools for research and learning. One of the most popular tools for research and information in today’s virtual world is the wiki. Coined by Ward Cunningham, a US programmer who invented the concept, a wiki is a web based application or communication tool that allows anyone to add, edit or delete content from the website. (www.dictionary.com).
One of the most popular and frequently visited sites worldwide is wikipedia.org. Touted as the “The Free Encyclopedia”, Wikipedia has “attracted 374 unique” monthly visitors (as of September 2015) since its creation in 2001. (en.wikipedia,org) Its unique collection of reference materials, pictures, videos and other multimedia content provide a wealth of information for its visitors. Based on the access volume alone, Wikipedia and other wiki sites share helpful resources for all who desire to expand their knowledge.
Although many people access and use wikis for research purposes, the collaborative nature and credibility of the information found on wikis is troubling for some. Take a look at this video as one example:
As an instructional designer, collaborative tools like wikis and blogs can be essential to students enhancing their use of 21st century tools and skills. Based on your understanding of wikis and any other associated information, please respond to the following:
Describe how you incorporate a wiki into your virtual course?
From your understanding of wikis, do you believe using a wiki is an effective way to evaluate a student’s performance? Please explain your reasons for why or why not.
By allowing students to add, modify and delete content within a wiki, do you believe the wiki concept can provide a better perspective for using shared content? Provide examples to support your response.
Using the Discussion Board tool, post your response regarding your thoughts associated with the use of wikis as collaborative tools in education by Thursday. Provide additional references to support your response to this blog post.
Using the rubric for this assessment as your guide, keep in mind the listed objectives as you complete this activity.
rubric
MFABRAMS - ID ArchiTECH
References
Definition of Wiki (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wiki
Wikipedia:About (n.d.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About
I am always impressed with your technical abilities! Nicely done; you covered the objectives for the assignment, extending the learners exploration of the topic.
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