“It is so cool to know that somebody might use what I wrote for their research!”

“I write a lot more carefully knowing the ‘world’ can read it.”

“I liked the fact that we could work together, help each other out, and link to stuff someone else wrote.”

“It’s so cool to put something ON the Internet, rather than always taking stuff OFF.”

-Wiki testimonials from Grade 6 students at the Nieman Enhanced Learning Centre, KS

-excerpt from Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson. (2007). an information skills workout: wikis and collaborative writing. Teacher Librarian, 34(5), 57-59,71. Retrieved October 26, 2008, from ProQuest Education Journals database. (Document ID: 1283156591)

I first heard the Hawaiian term “wiki” back in 1976, when my family landed at Honolulu International Airport for a vacation. When the plane landed on a runaway quite some distance from the airport terminal, a trio of conjoined tram-like buses quickly arrived to our rescue on the tarmac. These were the wiki wiki buses which have famously shuttled visitors to the islands back and forth from aircraft to the terminal for years. Who knew that Ward Cunningham would bring renewed interest to this Hawaiian word for “quick” or “hurry,” when he was looking for a descriptor for a new authoring tool that would allow users to publish content quickly and directly to the World Wide Web?

What is a wiki?

A wiki can be described as both a versatile, collaborative space or as an open-source software on the web. Wikis are web sites that can be created and edited by many users at anytime, from anywhere. They are easy to use because the they use “web-based open-editing tools” that do not require the user to have any knowledge of html coding. In web 2.0: new tools, new schools, authors Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum suggest that wikis are best “suited for projects in which collaborative teams write, revise, update, and contribute on a regular basis.”

Wikis are used in a variety of different learning environments by both business and educational organizations, to manage documents, track information and to collaborate on group projects (Richardson, 2007). Wikis never come to an end, but remain constantly evolving, as users continue to build on the content that has been previously created.

Popular sites where you can find out how to create your own wiki include Wikispaces, Seedwiki, and pbwiki. With a valid email account, a user ID and a password, a wiki can be created in minutes. To ensure a secure learning environment for students, educators can control access to their wiki sites by granting “members and permissions” under the settings tab.

Wikipedia

The greatest and best known example of a wiki is Wikipedia. This massive online encyclopedia is home to well over two million entries, publishing in over 200 different languages, and it continues to grow by leaps and bounds every day. As Will Richardson quotes in his book Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms, Wikipedia “attempts to store the ‘sum of human knowledge’” on all kinds of information about “people, places, things, historical events, and even today’s news almost as it happens” (Richardson, p.55). Wikipedia allows users the freedom to write and publish knowledge on any topic they wish. Users can also edit existing content whether it has been self-generated or created by others.

When students first began citing Wikipedia as a source for their research projects, classroom teachers and teacher-librarians were quick to voice their concerns and condemn it’s use for serious research. However, due to research and the testimonals of field experts, Wikipedia is gradually gaining acceptance as a legitimate and often cited resource by many reliable media sources. Experts who have put Wikipedia to the test, have surprisingly found it to be “accurate, informative, comprehensive and a great source for students” (Denver Post).

As Richardson observes, most educators advise their students “to use Wikipedia as a starting point for their work, but not as a sole resource.” I would agree that that seems to be a common approach, but I would add that this is sound advice to give anyone researching a topic, regardless of whether or not they consult Wikipedia.

Perhaps a more valuable exercise, for teachers and teacher-librarians, is to evaluate the content of Wikipedia for themselves. Since Wikipedia arrived on the scene, I have undergone my own evolution in my relationship with Wikipedia. From sceptic to advocate, I have developed a new appreciation for the collective conglomerate of knowledge that is Wikipedia. Where else could I find a well researched article, using primary source accounts, of Slovenian immigration to Manitoba in the 1950s, for a grade 5 student?

Advantages of the wiki

• Collaboration (users construct new knowledge collaboratively; user-generated content benefits from the collaborative nature of many contributors; subscribes to the “concept that everyone together is smarter than anyone alone”)
• Content (users can add original content; users can add knowledge that has not been recorded or documented)
• Negotiation (discussion tab allows users to “negotiate” the content being created; can help build consensus among a group of learners; facilitates collaborative problem-solving)
• Editorial freedom (users can correct what they know or believe to be incorrect information; users can re-write content in their own writing style)
• History (allows users to track any changes that have been made, including who made the changes and what was changed)
• Immediate publishing (users can add new content while something is taking place; content can be updated as an event unfold and more information becomes available)
• Quality control (community watchdog security; more users who want to protect the integrity of the content than not; errors usually corrected within hours; articles are weeded for bias, inaccuracy, out-of-date etc.)
• Ownership (gives editors the responsibility of maintaining the quality of their own information and managing their own site)
• Vandalism (some wiki sites use passwords and logins to restrict access to only invited guests)
• Audience (easy format to share with an audience of any size, even globally)
• Intellectual property (respect for other people’s ideas, pubic domain, community collaboration)
• Hyperlinks (ability to create a flexible, non-linear document structure)
• Reflection and Metacognition (built-in features through discussion and comments options)

Disadvantages of the wiki

It’s interesting that the very characteristics that make wikis effective learning tools, can likewise be viewed as its detractors:

• Content (users can publish incorrect content or change correct content, creating inaccuracies; vandals can sabotage content)
• Editorial freedom (users can correct what they believe to be incorrect information, even if they are not correct; continuous editing can be cumbersome over time)
• Copyright (dilemma as to the question of who owns what and intellectual property)
• Exhausted content (concern of redundancy and repeating content if users do not evaluate the existing information carefully before adding their own)
• Vandalism (potential for vandals to erase or misrepresent content; add profanities)
• Roles (the roles of teachers and students become less defined within the collaborative environment of the wiki; the “intellectual authority” of the teacher becomes “blurred” with the students, as both can correct, edit and delete content)
• Loss of focus (In “Beyond Wikipedia, Doug Achterman states that wikis can be prone to dispersion, created content can wander off topic, out on a tangent)

Implications for teaching and learning

In considering the implication of the wiki for teaching and learning, I was immediately reminded of the podcast for Joyce Valenza’s Manifesto for the 21st Century Librarian, at the NECC, in Atlanta (2007). When asked what Web 2.0 applications she believed are the most relevant to the 21st century learner, Joyce Valenza emphatically replied that “there is no better tool for synthesis, than a wiki,” and I would have to agree. In “An information skills workout: wikis and collaborative writing,” authors Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson also describe how “wikis provide an opportunity to synthesize ideas and create a collaborative project that is broader, deeper, and more interconnected than that created in a traditional writing environment.” A real advantage for learning how to use the wiki to facilitate synthesis, is that small groups of students can work on different parts of a topic and then bring them together to create a final project. Not only do students avoid the temptation for plagiarism, they are also able to generate original content by creating new understandings that are unique to the group.

In “Beyond Wikipedia,” Doug Achterman points out that “any wiki can be designed to contain separate work spaces for individual, small group, and large group products,” making it easy for students “to move from one space to the next, taking notes, analyzing, and synthesizing information along the way.” This kind of flexibility allows students to construct real meaning from their collected data in a much shorter period of time. Teachers can also use wikis to connect their students with other classrooms around the globe to collaborate on group projects.

Will Richardson states that when teachers give students a collaborative tool such as a wiki, they provide “a very democratic process of knowledge creation” (p.61). Students learn how to create and publish content, to develop skills in collaborating with others, and how to negotiate with others to form agreement on “correctness, meaning, relevance and more” (p.61). “In essence, students begin to teach each other.” When students take ownership for their own learning in this way, it becomes important for teachers to know when students require support and where to intervene.

In “Wikis and literacy development,” author Keith McPherson identifies “two major types of wikis of interest to educators: those created in the classroom by teachers and students [classroom-based wikis] and those not created by students and teachers [public wikis].” According to McPherson, teacher-librarians who use wikis with students need to assess which information literacy skills can best be addressed in this format. When defining learning objectives, teacher-librarians should question how the wiki format can help them to teach relevant information literacy skills. For example, readability might be an issue when students are using public wikis for research, as most public wikis, such as Wikipedia, require a reading level of at least grade 7 or higher

In “Wikis in school libraries,” Dana Dukic notes that “wikis are particularly attractive for school librarians” because they are completely “user-centred” and “user-driven.” Librarians no longer have the sole responsibility of creating content on the library web page. Similarly, in “A few new things,” Joyce Valenza suggests using wikis in school libraries to create pathfinders because they are collaborative and easy to edit. Now both teachers and students can add content to a pathfinder, not just the teacher-librarian. Using a wiki, library users can collaborate with the librarian to create resources and provide new services for themselves. At Shaftsbury High School Library in Winnipeg, the teacher-librarian publishes the library home page as a wiki and invites student and staff contributions.

In Steve Hargardon’s article entitled “A little help from my friends,” the author gives examples of real teacher-librarians using Web 2.0 tools in their everyday work. For example, high school librarian, Carolyn Foote lists examples of how she uses wikis “to compile notes with classes, encourage creative writing, and create book lists for teachers.” Teacher-librarians can use wikis like Wordless Works and the ReadWriteWiki to share information on ways to use children’s literature in the classroom. Joyce Valenza uses a wiki to create a summer reading list for her students. Since a wiki can also store links and other types of files, teachers were able to add their own content such as reading guides, questions, book reviews and even video

Wikis can be used in the classroom in a variety of different ways. For example, teachers and students can create an online curriculum where they both contribute to the content. Students might also use the curriculum to create their own version of Wikipedia or their own textbook, adding their own images, links, powerpoints, videos, podcasts, links to blogs, as well as reflections and personal thoughts. Wikis can be passed on from class to class, allowing students in future classes to continue to edit and/or add to existing content. In Winnipeg, teacher Darren Kuropatwa, is renown for creating his “Applied Math 40S Wiki Solutions Manual” in the wiki environment. His students learn from each other as they generate content and essentially construct their own math textbook.

Students can practise their editing skills by reviewing existing edits to a wiki, make their own changes and then follow up to see what happens to the changes they make. Similarly, students can observe those changes that others make to their work and analyze the results. The editing option gives teachers the opportunity to initiate important discussions with students as to “the difference between enhancing an article and damaging the work of a peer” (Lamb & Johnson, 2007). In Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms, Will Richardson even ponders whether or not teachers should encourage students to modify content of existing articles on Wikipedia. He asks, “Should we be looking at Wikipedia as another audience for our students to publish their work or contribute their knowledge to?” If we are looking for authentic experiences for our students, perhaps we can’t be too hasty in dismissing Richardson’s suggestion.

In “Make way for wikis,” Eric Oatman gives examples of how teachers and librarians are using the wiki environment to teach writing more effectively. One reason students are proving to write better in the wiki environment is because they know they have “an authentic audience” and “others are looking” at what they write. In English, wikis give literature studies new ways to support student learning allowing students to collect and build background information to the story by providing information for others studying the book, including interviews, author bios, setting information, and refelections on specific passages of the book.

Although the possibilities for using wikis with students may seem endless, there are numerous ways teachers can use wikis to enhance their teaching and support their own learning. For example, wikis can make it easier for teachers to share information, lesson plans, teaching strategies, best practises and learning outcomes with other educators. As a teacher, imagine using a wiki for collaborative planning with a colleague in your own school or even elsewhere, to coordinate student projects, or to connect with community members (”The virtual teacher-librarian: establishing and maintaining an effective web presence” by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson). Teachers can also model wiki use to colleagues in an authentic activity by presenting new content from within the wiki environment.

How can I use the wiki environment?

Will Richardson notes that wikis can be used “as collaborative tools among teachers or districts to collect and share information” (p.61). In web 2.0: new tools, new schools, Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum also view the potential of wikis for professional development “in creating a goal, plan, or direction or to simply discuss the way a new activity is working” (p.114). I can see

From within the security of our divisional portal, the wiki is one Web 2.0 tool that I am able to use in our schools, with both staff and students. As part of my job, I am responsible for developing and facilitating professional development opportunities for both teacher-librarians and library assistants (library technicians) in our school division. In order to provide our school library personnel with PD activities that meet our varied needs, I can use the wiki format for planning the direction of our professional development. By inviting school library staff to collaborate, our Library Staff PD Plan can take on new life in the wiki format, as all the stakeholders contribute to goal setting and mapping out a course of action for our continued professional development.

Reflections

In researching the wiki this week, I found that there is already a great deal of information available about how this Web 2.0 tool can be used in both education and business. In my own work, I can see how the wiki application can be useful with both students and staff. This will certainly be one Web 2.0 tool that I can see myself returning to time and again, for a variety of different reasons.

I do struggle with learning how to navigate a new tool each week, as well as researching the appropriate content to enhance the experience. It is a challenge to present new content while modelling an unfamiliar application in which to showcase new learning. However, this week, I really felt that in creating a wiki for our divisional PD plan, I am not only completing a course requirement, I am creating something I can really use with our staff. Even though I have just begun to develop this wiki, I know that this web site will be one that I continue to build with our school library staff. This is an important opportunity for our school division to harmonize the professional development goals of both teacher-librarians and library assistants, and create a collaborative learning community that reflects our individual needs.

I think Will Richardson gives a very accurate assessment of the learning potential of the wiki when he describes its ability to build powerful sites that can “teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more a group effort” (p.69). Wikis “show our students [and our teachers] what it means to be part of [a] process” (p.69). I couldn’t agree more.