What did you learn from the group wiki project?
Aside from Wikipedia, I had never used wikis before our class project. Thus, I’ve learned everything I know about wikis to this point from the group wiki project. I think it is an efficient way for a group to work because everyone can work on it when time permits. I also think that more people working on a project results in a better end result. It’s helpful when people can offer different perspectives and visions. I enjoyed finding new work added when I returned to the site. (I loved being able to go to Google Reader to see what was being done on our project and everyone else’s project.) Another appealing aspect is that we were able to collaborate on all parts of the wiki. Unlike traditional group projects in which people divide the work and do just their part, in our wiki, we could divide the work, but then alter what our partners did. I like the fact that everyone has the ability to work on all parts of the assignment.
Are you encountering resistance to using wikis in your class, either from others or from yourself? If so, how do you plan to respond?
At first, I wanted to immediately incorporate wikis into my teaching. However, I then began questioning what would happen if one person did all the work. On the other hand, that is something that can happen with any group project. Then I learned about the history page. This is one of my favorite features of wikis. This is far superior to a traditional group project because I can see who made changes, when they were made, and what they were. The one tricky part is that everyone needs to have their own way of accessing the site. It won’t work if they all sign in under my name.
Now, I’m wondering how to get everyone access. Should everyone sign up with their own e-mail? Almost all, but not all, of my student have an e-mail address. Would their parents approve? I think I read somewhere on the site that I could send a class list, and the company would assign passwords to each of my students. I need to find time to try to find that information.
I’m also wondering how much help to give my students. A blank page might be too intimidating. I think they might need some scaffolding. Maybe I could start with headings and/or subheading for them. Access to the computer lab or computer cart is another obstacle. I’ll have to see when they are available. Also, spending time teaching students how to create wikis is another issue. There’s such limited time in class. The time they would spend outside of class working on wikis would likely compensate for the class time, I would think. Plus, if we did more than one wiki project, then the time invested early on would certainly pay off. I think the collaborative aspect of wikis would greatly appeal to my students.
