Online Tool 6: Wikis

What are Wikis?

A Wiki is an open space where both a professor and the students can post and edit content. Wikis are the perfect example of a shared knowledge base - authorship is shared between all members, and anyone can edit the information. Instead of being one person’s work, it is a combination of the knowledge and work of a whole group.

How can Wikis be used in courses?

Wikis can be used in a variety of ways, including:

• As an online class glossary,
• For a group research project,
• As a way to compile an online class bibliography,
• For error collection,
• To create timelines and chronological lists, or
• For class wide storyboards.

Pros of Wikis

Wikis work well in that large groups of people can be working on them simultaneously, they can be consistently checked by other learners, and they require large amounts of collaboration to fully come together. They are also easy for individual students to later search for a specific piece of information.

Adapted from:

Vai, M. & Sosulski, K. (2011) Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide. New York City, Routledge.

 

For more information on how to use wikis, check out the following ideas.
Idea 12: Practicing Writing to a General Audience through Wikipedia
Idea 13: Creating Interactive Reading Assignments in a Canvas Wiki Page

 

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