UW-Green Bay's Wiki

A wiki is an Internet application that allows multiple users to create and edit online documents and collections of documents collaboratively and concurrently. Anyone with access to a wiki can easily add pages and links; insert, revise and delete text; revert to a previous version of the page; and see exactly who else has done any of these things to any of the wiki's pages. In general, everyone with access to the wiki has equal access and anything anyone does is clearly attributed to the individual. It's a fascinating Web 2.0 instructional technology and requires only a fairly current browser on the user's end.

Wikis are effective in a teaching and learning environment when projects are collaborative and everyone is active creating and editing the entire document or series of documents. It's the "everyone involved in everything" element that is uniquely advantageous for a wiki.

There are several wikis available on the web. Media Wiki, the same wiki that powers Wikipedia, is the wiki installed on UWGB's servers and supported by the LTC. We've had it since September 2007.

The LTC supports the UWGB wiki. Instructors interested in using one in their class or for peer collaboration projects should contact Leif Nelson (2933). We will suggest a meeting at which we can discuss the capabilities and limitations of the wiki and how it might fit with your interests. It's not our intention to meddle but we have considerable experience and are happy to share suggestions that might enhance your chances of success (and minimize disappointment on everyone's part). We're happy to help out.

A few quick suggestions:

• Contact us well in advance so we have time to meet with you and get your wiki created by the time you need it.
• Consider whether you want access to your class wiki limited to you and your students or open to the world.
• Scary scenarios about total chaos and anarchy within wikis almost never happen. Chaos is averted by initial planning and organization, and anarchy is very rare because people are basically civil and all activities are easily identified with the author.
• Some students will embrace the new technology and others will hold back. Early, low-stakes wiki activities usually get students past that discomfort.
• The LTC supports wikis on campus, just as we support D2L and other instructional technologies. We provide training, consultation, documentation. and answers to questions.