Wikis in the Classroom

PresentorsTammy Gillmore

Rachel NewellDrew Nolley

JimBob Turner

Introduction to Topic:What is a Wiki?

➢ A website that allows collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users

Use of the word “wiki” over time.

Creating the Wiki:The Birth

➢ “WikiWikiWeb,” 1994, 1995 -- Ward Cunningham

➢ c2.com (Cunningham’s company website): first true wiki

➢ “WikiWikiWeb” inspired by “Wiki Wiki Shuttle” at Hawaii airport○ “Wiki” = Hawaiian for “quick”

Top 10 Wiki Sites1. Wikispaces2. PBworks3. Wetpaint4. Zoho Wiki5. FreedomShare6. Wikia7. Wikispot8. Wiki-Site9. Weebly10.Google Sites

Why We Distrust(ed) Them: The Teenage Years

➢ Unreliable -- anyone can edit them○ EX: Wikipedia

➢ 2005 study by Denning, et al.: Problem areas1. Accuracy: Not knowing which content is accurate; oftenexacerbated by lack of references.

2. Motives: Not knowing the motives of editors, who maybe biased for various reasons.

3. Expertise: Not knowing the expertise of editors.4. Stability: Not knowing the stability of an article and howmuch it has changed since the last viewing.5. Coverage: Spotty coverage of topics.

6. Sources: Cited information may come from hidden or non-independent source

Why We CAN Trust Them: The 20s/Adulthood➢ Fairly strictly monitored

➢ Most wikis will tell you when a text was last edited

➢ A lot of the information is fairly accurate

➢ Most wikis have privacy settings○ Blocks outside users

(Wiki)pedia

➢ Most popular Wiki

➢ Most often used for quick facts

➢ Not recommended for research.

As a Think Tank...in class• Wiki pages become a powerful tool in the classroom as think tanks.

o This method allows students to take ownership of the wiki and interact in class with other students.

• A teacher will set up a wiki page and allow the students to access the page and contribute to the wiki.o Each student can have their own page on the wiki to put material and

allow other students to comment on it.o There is also a discussion tab available and this allows the teacher (or

a student) to start a discussion. Material can move from just the

classroom to the web.• It is also a way to make the quiet students

vocal and gather valuable ideas.o It is easier for some to voice opinions

on the web rather than in the classroom.

In this wiki each student has his/her website, allowing him/her to post to that page.

As a Website• Websites are expensive to create and maintain; wikis are not!

• They are very similar to blogs, but provide a more efficient way to organize information.o See a blog example here.

• They are easy to update

• You can store and organize information easily

• You can use them to collaborate with other people on projectso See a wiki example here.

As a Website

For Collaboration

You are here...gillmorepd.wikispaces.com

Choices...Choices!PBWorks● pbworks.com

Wikispaces● wikispaces.com

Wikia● http://www.wikia.com/Special:CreateNewWiki

How to Create1. Choose preferred layout. 2. Create an account. 3. You have a wiki!

To add info...

Now What?!

Now to Beautify...

Questions?

Works Cited“Can You Ever Trust a Wiki? ImpactingPerceived Trustworthiness in

Wikipedia” 12 Nov. 2008. Web.

Google. Definitions.https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+wiki&oq=definition+of+w&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

History of Wikis. http://wikis.wikia.com/wiki/History_of_wikis

Kapuler, David. “Top 10 Sites for Creating a Wiki. http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=583

“The Teachers’ Guide to Wikipedia in the Classroom.” Teach Thought. 9 Oct. 2013. Nov. 2013. http://www.teachthought.com/technology/teachers-guide-wikipedia-classroom/