This assignment is my
first wiki as a collaborative exercise where I am developing a page with others
to post. Most of my own experience with referencing wikis is largely with Wikipedia, which is often
criticized as a source of information. Wikipedia may not be a universally
accurate, or primary authoritative source, yet it is highly useful for
students. I have found that if I need a quick summary of a new topic, it is an
excellent way to start my understanding of that concept. Many hyperlinks in the
posts to related content also provide other resources for me to start my
primary academic research.
A
portion of the criticism of Wikipedia as a source may be a result of educators
not fully understanding or embracing the underlying tenet of this wiki. Christensen
(2015) examines the criticisms of Wikipedia in education and points out that as
a broad source of learning, there are useful applications of the tool in
21st-century education. Classroom applications include looking up information
on a broad topic, using the wiki to winnow out potential research topics and
taking advantage of the direction to primary sources are listed as benefits.
When one is informed about the possible drawbacks of Wikipedia, such as
"anyone" can contribute and there is no fact checking process aside
from volunteers who patrol entries, this context gives the learner the ability
to reasonably use the provided information.
West
and West (2009) discuss the positive features of a wiki as including the
"potential to expand beyond the boundaries of the online classroom"
(p.4) and as a way to partner with a worldwide audience. The changing
organization of the wiki based on outside contribution leads to new pairings of
information as individuals work to add entries and other ways of structuring
the information.
Cons
of a wiki may include a certain loss of control of the information. Once others
visit and contribute to the page, it takes on a life of its own. For those who
want to have absolute certainty for how information is presented, a blog or
static web page may be a better solution.
References
Christensen, T.B.
(2015). Wikipedia as a tool for 21st century teaching and learning.
International Journal for Digital Society, 6, 3/4.
West, J.A. &
West, M.L. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey
Bass.
I did not even realize that Wikipedia was a wiki until my son told me after he asked what I was studying (this was a couple of weeks ago). When I think about it, I guess I should have known it. Anyone has the ability to edit and make changes on the different pages.
ReplyDeleteI do like the fact that the wiki does allow for the easy collaboration between students. It is very handy for group projects in the classroom. Everyone can do his/her part and add it to the page. Also, I agree with what you said about the cons of a wiki. I can certainly see how things could be added that should not be there or that might distract from the purpose of the project or idea (King & Cox, 2011).
King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Jennifer, the exciting thing about a wiki I think is its potential to reach so many people. In an era where information overload is the norm, a tool that others can use where someone has curated the information is priceless. I am finding as I research information about my group's wiki that there are endless "bits" that would benefit from being strung together in a coherent whole. Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteHey Jana! I definitely do the same thing with Wikipedia - I often use it at a starting point to fully understand a concept, which gives me the insight necessary to read more highbrow information on the concept. I was especially pleased when I discovered that if you replace the "en." at the beginning of most pages with a "simple." you can read things written even more simply!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the concerns that you may have information taking on a life of its own if many people can update. I'm one of four people at my work who can update our internal Wiki, so it makes it much easier to ensure information is accurate.
Hi! I agree that as a starting point, Wikipedia can be a useful site for students. However, I feel that I have almost had to begin anti-Wikipedia entirely, because the moment I mention it to my students, they tend to gravitate towards it. If students can learn to use Wikipedia correctly - as a database of outside reference material which one can then access for research information - then it could be a wonderful learning tool. Personally, I must admit that I have used Wikipedia to get a very quick summary of unfamiliar material - it is especially helpful for pop culture items that my students reference in class or in essays.
ReplyDelete