How Blogs & Wikis Help in Writing ?

Prepared by,Chistopher Chong Wei Jin

Wong Siew TzenIrene Chang Hui Chung

Ng Ru Yi

Definition of Blog

A blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Quotation “ writing without writing”Weblogs: A History And Perspective

The Usage of A Blog

Provide commentary or news on a particular subject

Personal online diariesShare one’s life with a wider community

Blogshttp://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/tp/WritingBlogPeopleRead.htm

Everybody can start up a blog but not everybody can write a blog that fulfill the reader requirement.

To write a blog that can attract readers or audience, you will have to fulfill requirements below:

a) Create a blog homepageb) Make a page about yourself

outstandingc) Categories in the blog d) List of links e) Sidebar itemf) Blog footer

Effects of Weblogs (Positive)You’ll be able to post new information quickly and

get it to your customers & clients just as fast like promoting your items, newest product etc.

Can be an excellent way of sharing within an organization

Can be a positive way of getting feedback, and keeping your finger on the pulse, as readers react to certain pieces, suggest story ideas etc.

Ability to vent your feelings, by simply typing in some text and letting the whole world be able to read what is going on in your head.

Effects of Weblogs (Negative)Most blogwriters are unable to write down

their ideas in a clear and compelling manner, often filling it with mundane and uninteresting tidbits.

Blogs are easy to start and hard to maintain. A blog writer needs to be committed to regularly posting on his blog instead of doing it according to her moods.

Far from blogs being a cheap strategy, they are a very expensive one, consuming a lot of time for writers to regularly update them.

One of the most popular blogs in the world, Perez Hilton.com

Definition of WikisWhat are they?According to Wikipedia, Wiki software is a

type of collaborative software that runs a Wiki system. This typically allows web pages to be created and edited using a common web browser. It is usually implemented as an application server that runs on one or more web servers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki_(software)http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/ict/

wikis.html

A wiki is an application that allows users to draft and redraft each other’s text online, and to share that text among a community of readers, either privately or publicly.

Known as ‘social software’ .A blog focus on a set of entries written in

chronological order like a journal; a wiki is a powerful collaborative drafting tool that can enable people to work on projects as vast as an online encyclopedia / Wikipedia or as small as a to do list for a camping trip.

Wiki is an ideal tool, where you think you might want students to construct a knowledge base, or to collaborate with each other over the Web in discussing your subject/ module.

Wikis can be used for formative feedback, where tutors can give feedback on work in draft form. It can also be used for summative assessment, where the final product is submitted for high-stakes assessment.

Can be used in conjunction with blogs and RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

can embed video in a wiki, as well as graphics and diagrams.

can also be used as part of an e-portfolio, where working drafts can be made public to viewers on the portfolio, or kept private, as appropriate.

can be used for staff research purposes. setting up the software for users

(depending on the type of wiki you use), wikis are quite intuitive to use.

Three types: Socialtext MediaWiki Instiki

Educational tools, wikis have the potential to: create networks of meaning enable distributed learning across the Internet facilitate collaborative learning

embody e-learning as understanding and conversation, as just-in-time learning, and assessment of situated learning.

Why Choose Wiki??Users can draft and redraft each others’ texts, and

teachers will have a record of that activity. Collaborative projects are easy to participate in, with an

online tool that holds a central version of the project.Teaching materials can be hosted on a wiki and revised

easily. Teams of students can work on a document, as well as

individuals. Projects can be as small as several paragraphs or as

large as a book – even one as large as an encyclopedia. Student- centred drafting area. Staff can use tools to comment on student work.

The Effects of Wikis in Writing Require users to learn wiki syntax so that they can maximize

the usage of the formatting capabilities of the wiki. Adding plain text to a page is simple, but formatting headings, lists or tables requires the use of a system of special punctuation.

Very large wiki projects can become the battleground of editing wars between writers who have different views. This can make a particular wiki page seem repetitive and full of bombastic edits.

The collaborative nature of a wiki means the team members, as a whole, must be committed to the project in order to take advantage of the many features of wiki programs. One or two people who are active, while the rest become sleeping members, can turn the wiki into a pet project that only seems useful to that one or two people, but not the rest of the team or the wider community.

A page from the wiki ‘Halopedia’

Summary …These advantages allow wikis to fulfill the original

purpose with which they were created for: A simple, easily understood and used community tool that can provide information to web surfers who can then edit the information if they have more to contribute. In short, an online community, by the people, for the people. However, the disadvantages are also present, and the contributing people must be wary of them so they do not get plagued by these pitfalls further down the project.

That’s the end of the presentation. Thank you for watching and paying attention ….