Week 3 Reflection

Greetings,

So this week I was given the opportunity to discuss wikis, blogs or websites. As wikis is the medium I have used the least in the past I thought it would be beneficial to examine its potential for engagement in the classroom.  Being part of generation Y, I was gifted the opportunity from a young age to access blogs and or websites at  whim. Though these platforms are cherished, collaboration was quite passive. Other than the access to content, the best feature was the opportunity to comment or correspond with peers. It is here where I feel the wiki is gaining popularity as it is a means not only to transmit and share content but also to actively collaborate. It is also evident that the wiki can activate learning highlighted through the SAMR Model and Bloom’s taxonomy.

The wiki  has many merits in terms of its customisation. It is possible to have security settings to keep the wiki private so that only the intended pupils can access and contribute to the wiki. The essential scaffolding for the wiki is ensuring students understand how to use the wiki and also the etiquette and environment that must be sustained. As it is a controlled environment teachers can create activities within the wiki for students to engage with. The use of the wiki can be taught through tutorials, online research and self-exploration. It is also imperative to instil in students how to use the wiki responsibly and set the tone for how students interact with each other. One of the great advantages of the wiki is equity between students as they can control their online identity and anonymity. It is important that students do not abuse this privilege. As all students can edit and organise content equally it is essential that they respect the work and intellectual property that students share.

Another advantage of the wiki is how it can be a great tool for formative assessment. On a basic level it is possible for students to be linked to quizzes and test to check their knowledge and understanding. On a deeper level it is possible to observe students in their response to content and interactions with others. It is through the collaboration and analysis of content that students are able to activate higher order thinking skills referenced in Blooms Taxonomy. Teachers are able to continuously contribute to the wiki to guide and enhance the activity.

To put the wiki technology into a class context it is useful not only for the distribution of content but also the interaction. If I was taking a history class on perspectives on the Second World War, I could give students different sources showcasing perspectives. Students could then comment and analyse why these views were held by different parties. Another element that could then be added is to ask students to contribute a piece of media or content each that showcased a viewpoint. This could range from a blog post, YouTube video, online news article, etc. Students are then able to critique other students contributions and constantly edit and add content. As a formative assessment students could then choose two of the vast resources and contrast and analyse the viewpoints. This activity conforms to the SAMR model as the beginning of the activity demonstrates the application of substitution and augmentation. When the activity is open to students to engage with and evaluate content the modification and redefinition stages are activated.  The wiki also feeds into quality ICT pedagogy of enabling higher order thinking, collaboration, controlled learning and a strong group identity.

Other than my course readings, I gained most of my knowledge of wikis by simply looking up tutorials and playing with my own Wikispaces account. A resource I found particularly helpful was a PowerPoint on how teachers can best use wikis. :
https://jenniferbarnett.wikispaces.com/file/view/Help.Wikispaces.Teacher_Presentation.ppt.