Using Wikis in the Classroom

What is a Wiki?

Wikis are websites that allow visitors to join in participating and collaborating with others as they work to develop a database of information. The term wiki is derived from Hawaiian language meaning "quick" or "fast". Without the need for special technical knowledge or tools, individuals can edit, add, or revise previously posted information to help expand on the works of others. In this way, a wiki is always "under construction" as posts are modified and updated by the group of collaborators. A popular example of a famous wiki includes Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia designed by millions of contributors and editors. Unlike a blog, which only allows visitors to share their ideas about an individual post in the form of a comment, wikis allow a community of individuals to alter the previous work of others - shaping the information in a way that better expresses a group perspective rather than that of an individual.

Who Uses Wikis?

Wikis can be developed, used, and shared by anyone whether they are students, business employees, or just individuals who wish to share certain information. By incorporating text and photos, people may design a wiki to share knowledge about friends and family, travel, art, research, products, or just about anything else you can imagine! Wikis can also be customized to require approval by previous moderators before a new individual may alter the information, helping to prevent the work from being edited by someone who may intentionally misconstrue previously posted information.

Why Use a Wiki?

Wikis serve as a platform that can assist individuals in building deeper connections between new and old knowledge while advancing evaluation and synthesis abilities. For example, using discussion and critical thinking, students can engage with one another to pull together and write about a myriad of alternate perspectives focused on a singular topic. This can better help them to learn strategies for overcoming challenges and finding solutions as a team.

Wikis in the Classroom

For educators, wikis can serve as a fantastic resource for student collaboration, research, and presentation. Whether a wiki is designed to be a collective space for student-to-student support or to focus on a particular area of study, wikis can help to provide a means for expanding the learning experience using real world applications. Three examples for using wikis in the classroom include writing a collaborative story, creating virtual study guides, and developing an encompassing knowledge base.

1. Collaborative Story: Students can gradually develop a story as a class, entering to add and edit sentences as they acquire new vocabulary words. The story can be a single document that unfolds as students progress, or students can develop alternate versions and endings to the story. Each time a student visits the wiki to contribute, they gain further practice in learned concepts as they read and re-read the story prior to adding new information.

2. Virtual Study Guides: Students can choose to examine particular parts of a current lesson to help pinpoint main ideas that are critical to know for upcoming tests. By working together and analyzing concept material, students can take turns being responsible for designing a study guide both for individual and peer use. This helps provide useful materials for the class while giving individual students meaningful practice with important information.

3. Knowledge Base: Students can gradually add new information to a wiki as they learn a variety of knew concepts - math, science, social studies, English, etc. - throughout the year. This database can serve as a helpful, organized review for students as they refresh their memories about things they have learned and proudly showcase the information to friends and parents. For each subject, students can upload example pieces of work such as writing, images, videos, and discuss their perspectives of the concepts.

Ultimately, wikis provide a means for individuals to collaborate in flexible and creative ways using nearly any topic as a focal point for group work. Whether simply a database of useful resources (such as our student resource wiki) or a collection of memories and knowledge, wikis are just another way to help learners expand perspectives and share ideas with members of the community as well as people from around the world. For more information, feel free to check out the Wiki Walk-Through.

(Snapshot of the teacher candidates' Student Resources Wiki)