Summary
- Wikis have and can be used successfully in teaching to produce a collaborative hyper-text essay in most academic disciplines.
- Wikis also have uses in administration - particularly for documentation
- Wikis are easy to use and there is rarely any need for additional software beyond a web-browser and internet connection.
- The number of different "flavours" of wikis available is large and choice is most often governed by the technical experience of the people involved in setting up and maintaining the system. Lack of standards makes exchange of data between the different types virtually impossible.
- For successful use; students should be given small assignments initially to become familiar with the tool; tasks should be focussed but allow enough scope for students to develop further if they wish.
- Encourages constructive learning, develops "knowledge based discourse" and collaborative work practises (fosters the development of group working skills)
- Produces an end product or even an evolving product that can be worked on further by others
- Issues of Intellectual Properiety Rights, providing individual marks to students working collaboratively have still to be addressed.
- Style tends to be informal; for academia is this style appropriate/acceptable for discourse?
- Its fun!!!
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