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Welcome to the Learning Technology Center

Tips for Using Wikis

Preparation

  • Plan: Prepare your activities well in advance.
  • Practice: Allow students to use the wiki in a test area.
  • Participate: Join your students in creating, revising and discussing pages.

Suggested Activities

  • Writing: biographies; news; essays; narratives; poems; scripts
  • Definitions: class glossaries; vocabulary words; encyclopedia articles
  • Group work: projects; discussions; note taking
  • Q and A: Students answer each others questions; the instructor answers student questions; students answer instructor questions; involve a public audience or experts.

Assessment

  • Track page history and view each edit consecutively.
  • View all the edits an individual has made.
  • Check for substance of content--encourage proper citation of sources
  • Quality: Encourage high level grammar and spelling.
  • Progress Benchmarks: Encourage timelines and deadlines.
  • Participation: Encourage students to adopt roles.

Links

Educause 7 things to know about wikis (PDF) Includes: What is it?; Who's doing It?; How does it work?; Why is it significant?; What are the downsides?; Where is it going?; What are the implications for teaching and learning?
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf

Common Craft - Wikis in plain english (video) A short video that demonstrates how a wiki might be used to create a supplies list for a camping trip.
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

WiscWiki According to them, "the central hub for information and discussion on wikis in the University of Wisconsin System."
http://wiscwikis.wikispaces.com/

Examples of Wikis in Higher Ed