Wiki Significance
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| So, why should I wiki? |
"Wikis provide learners meaningful, interactive, reflective, and collaborative opportunities in which learning takes precedence" (King & Cox, 2011, p.122). How exactly can a wiki promote active adult learning and engagement? The answer lies its flexible platform which can be used in a variety of different learning contexts for differing purposes which may include: student journaling; creation of an eportfolio; construction of a collaborative knowledge base; cooperative research; and curricular and cross-disciplinary coordination (King & Cox. 2011).
Adult Learning Theory
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| Adult Learner: Andragogy |
Wiki
(King & Cox, 2011) |
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Pro (+)
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Con (-)
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(1). Readily accessible
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(1). Public
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(2). Has return “comments” feature
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(2). “Hidden audience”: wiki visitation with no return feedback in
comment box
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(3). Easy to edit
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(3). Data entry of inappropriate or irrelevant content material
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(4). Can promote:
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(4). Can promote:
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Final Thoughts
In this graduate degree program, I have worked on three wikis now. I think the learning curve for using the various functionalities and designing the interface of a wiki is higher than creating and designing a blog. In addition, unlike a blog, there is no spell check feature in the discussion section of a wiki, where one leaves comments. The ability to add and revise basic text-based content is a powerful wiki feature and what makes it such a useful tool for collaborative projects. Instructors who want to integrate technology into their curriculum will find this a very beneficial tool to introduce to students despite, some of its minor challenges and limitations.Questions
(1). In the Hazari, North, & Moreland (2009) article, gender differences were found between male and female students, with female students being less engaged in the educational use of wikis. What strategies or best practices might you recommend to promote and enhance the interest of female students with wiki technology?
(2). In our readings this week, all of the authors maintained that a wiki was an effective tool for promoting two distinct elements: collaborative learning and cooperative student-student interactions. For novice instructors, who are contemplating integrating wiki technology into their course curriculum, what advice or recommendations would you suggest for the design and development of a learning activity that would incorporate the above two elements?
References
Bosnic, I., Poscic, A., Ackar, I., Zibrat, Z., & Zagar, M. (2010, June 21-24). Online collaborative presentations. Proceedings of the ITI 2010 3rd International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/224166391_Online_collaborative_presentations
Knowles, M. (1973). The adult learner: A neglected species. (3rd edition). Houston, TX: Gulf. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED084368
Lari, P. (2011). The use of wikis for collaboration in higher education. In K. P. King & T. D. Cox (Eds.), The professor’s guide to taming technology (pp. 121-133). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Montero-Fleta, B., & Perez-Sabater, C. (2011). Knowledge construction and knowledge sharing: A Wiki-based approach. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 28, 622-627. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1776697/Knowledge_construction_and_knowledge_sharing_a_Wiki-based_approach
West, J.A., & West, M.L. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from [HERE]
Images
(n.d.). Adult learners. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://madisoncollege.edu/files/users/JKolka/adult-learners.jpg
(n.d.). Final thoughts. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.psdgraphics.com/file/creative-thought.jpg
(2012, 12). Pros and cons. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.publicschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/pros-and-cons.jpg
(2013, 04). Wiki. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://dotwiki.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ICANNWiki-Logos_Ink-Wiki_2.png
Videos
(2008, November 19). Ain't no stoppin' us now (McFadden and Whitehead). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY0tsKCB4lc
(2012, June 30). Educational uses of wiki. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGmWjjD0Yo8
Finlay, J. (2010, May 17). Andragogy (adult learning). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLoPiHUZbEw
Aja,
ReplyDeleteGreat job!. I am not sure how to address the first question you posted.I need sometime to research that question in greater detail. However, in response to question #2, I would recommend the novice instructor who is interested in incorporating a wiki to begin small. Get comfortable witn the technology, software, instructional design, and then begin to expand its use as his/her comfort level increases. I think two common mistakes some instructors make is they implement technology "for technology's sake" but don't create the instructional design in a way that aligns with the learning objectives or creates anxiety for students. Second, I think some instructors start with a grandiose plan and then it becomes too much too handle or manage effectively. Check out my blog. I had a list of "do's and dont's" so to speak for eductaors when using wikis.
Tom
Hi Tom:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your great return response and recommendations. I think the suggestions to "begin small" and to align the technology integration with the "learning objectives/outcomes" are so on target. For example, in the Intro to Adult Education course, I created a wiki on Septima Clark (end-of-the semester project). What was so wonderful about that experience was the alignment with the weekly learning activities to the end term wiki project. Specifically, while I was creating the wiki, on a weekly basis, I was learning about the social justice roots of adult education. In other words, the weekly learning activities and reading assignment underlined and amplified many of the events in Ms. Clark's life and her social activism.
(1). As you have moved through this degree program, what is your opinion about learning activity and learning objective/outcome alignment?
(2). If you had to design, develop, and deliver your own online course within the next 2 months, at this point in the course do you feel adequately prepared to so from what we have learned about blogs and wikis? If yes, what would you do? If no, what are the gaps in your knowledge base? (if any)
Aja,
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1: One of my "mantras" as a teacher is to make sure I align learning activities with learning objectives and outcomes. I feel this is a teaching philosophy that helps the students gain a better understanding of why they are engaging in he activity, helps aid in the tranfer of learning, and in the assessment/evaluation of student learning.
Question #2: I have been designing, developing, and delivering online classes for 12 years, and I completed a formal teacher education program, so I feel adequately prepared. Now, I don't say that to be arrogant or come across as a "know it all", this is simply my experience and education. I continually strive to improve course design and instructional processes. This leads me to say that as I complete this program, I am more adequately prepared to implement and use more Web 2.0 technologies, without a question. More effective use of Web 2.0 technologies was the gap in my knowledge base. Does that make sense?
Tom
Hi Tom:
DeleteYes, your return response makes total sense. I, too, feel this program is great in transfer knowledge and apply it in real world applications. One thing I wish we had more of are instructional templates, where we could codify the steps and processes of what we learned in the various courses. I have created my own templates; however, I wish we had more from the instructors.
What are your thoughts on instructional templates for record keeping purposes?
~Aja
Aja:
ReplyDeleteYou did an excellent job with your wiki! The text is separated very nicely with the graphics and videos. The chart you developed listings the pros and cons is very helpful. I like how I can read the information side by side and the points made are easy to comprehend.
Not only do I agree that “adult learners have a wealth of prior knowledge and life experiences, which they often want to share with others,” I find the potential opportunity to contribute my background and life engagements to my learning, rewarding. As I believe the knowledge and experiences of adults help other adults in the learning process, it is gratifying to me to think that my input and notions on various subject matters in my graduate coursework can help other learners expand their knowledge. The use of wikis, especially in an online learning environment, “open the door to new ways of fostering interaction and collaboration” (West & West, 2009, p. 19).
Are you attaining your graduate degree entirely online? Do you think that wiki projects can be just as effective in a face-to-face learning environment as they can be with an online educational setting? Why or why not? What do you find to be the most significant advantage of wikis that you have learned since developing this wiki post? Were you surprised by anything you learned and if so, why?
References
West, J.A. & West, M.L. (2009). Using wiki’s for online collaboration. San Francisco, C.A.: Jossey-Bass.
Hi Sarah:
DeleteThank you for responding to my blog post. It is very much appreciated.
Questions
(1). Are you attaining your graduate degree entirely online?
* No, I am taking some face-to-face courses at Syracuse University as well. I find that I like the online platform best due to its 24/7 accessibility. I can work on homework and class assignments at my leisure and according to my own work schedule.
(2). Do you think that wiki projects can be just as effective in a face-to-face learning environment as they can be with an online educational setting? Why or why not?
* Yes, wikis are great for doing collaborative projects regardless of the course content delivery system. Specifically, adult learners have a readily accessible content management platform where they can add materials to on their own schedule and in a convenient manner. The wiki project for this class is going very well with all team members actively contributing content, time, and effort. I know the above actions and activities can be replicate with a wiki based on the intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, prior knowledge, and experiences of the team members, irrespective of the learning delivery system (e.g., online, hybrid, or face-to-face).
(3). What do you find to be the most significant advantage of wikis that you have learned since developing this wiki post?
* Since the above wiki post, my team members for the wiki project in this course have started working on our scenario. there is excellent symmetry and positive interdependence among all team members. We communicate effectively with one another. I feel confident that our project will be completed well before the expected submission deadline.
(4). Were you surprised by anything you learned and if so, why?
* The is a lot of peer-reviewed information about technology integration. Sorting, analyzing, and writing -up the major tenets of each selected article has been time-consuming and very labor-intensive. Yet, with the above said, it has been an enjoyable, refreshing and rewarding academic learning experience.
~Aja
Hi Sarah:
DeleteThis is just a follow-up comment regarding my use of a table/chart in my blog post. Tom and Liz had a great discussion about scaffolding in their blog posts. Research suggests that when you have a lot of abstract or numerical content information using an advance organizer is a useful way to minimize cognitive dissonance, confusion, and frustration (Stravredes, 2011). Readers can quickly see the relevant and meaningful information that the I want them to get from the posting. Sarah, thank you for noting the use of the table/chart.
~Aja
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Reference
Stravredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Thank you for sharing! Do you have suggestions for advance organizers?
DeleteHi Sarah:.......
DeleteYes, I do. The SMART Art found in the Microsoft Office suite are great graphic organizers. For plain advance organizers, you cannot go wrong with creating a table/chart or a matrix.
Please see visual examples at the following web address:
https://www.google.com/search?q=advance+organizers&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vLM_Up7NHZPd4AO2koH4Ag&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=758&dpr=1
~Aja
Aja:
ReplyDeleteYou presented great questions and they are very thought provoking.
(1). What strategies or best practices might you recommend to promote and enhance the interest of female students with wiki technology?
I remember reading this statistic and find this notion to be interesting. Is this a new concept to you or were you already aware of this fact?
I think over time, women will become more interested and engaged in the use of wikis. I believe this is due to the notion of the online programs in healthcare where learners can obtain their degree in the medical field online (Crocker, Hutchings, Nussey, Park, & Springate, 2010). As there are many women in this field, it seems to me that in the coming years, females will be introduced to this method of technology and will be required through assignments to develop projects and collaborate with their peers with wikis. Just like I was apprehensive when first working with wikis, I quickly discovered how user friendly they can be and the reward that collaboration among other adult learners can be with wikis. I was fascinated in the first graduate course I took that utilized wikis, just how powerful and valuable this technology can be for collaborative learning. I find from a learning standpoint, how beneficial it is to have all of the information my team members have for a group project in one location. Although, the exchange of emails between peers can be helpful when working on group assignments, the ability to view all of the ideas in one location is definitely less confusing and can help to promote greater accuracy and more effective communication.
A strategy I might consider to help female students become more engaged in the use of wikis is providing all of the students in a given course with different levels of instructional videos on working with wikis, so I can be certain I am reaching learners with various backgrounds of this technology. This concept may help increase the participation and reduce any anxiety any of the students might have, which can help encourage their engagement.
(2). For novice instructors, who are contemplating integrating wiki technology into their course curriculum, what advice or recommendations would you suggest for the design and development of a learning activity that would incorporate the above two elements?
My suggestion is for the instructors to not have a high level of expectations with the wiki design. I say this because if the students are required to add various elements to the wiki that may involve them asking the instructor for advanced further instruction or explanation of what is expected, the educator needs to feel competent in what they are “reporting” back to their students, so the learners can be successful. In this case of having a novice instructor for a given course, my recommendation is they begin “small” with the requirements for the wiki project they are assigning to their students. Of course there needs to be specific guidelines; however, it may be best to allow for more flexibility, especially when first beginning instruction of the course to allow the instructor to feel more comfortable with the technology they are working with and then they can “work up” to more firm expectations of their students as the educator becomes more experienced.
Another suggestion I have when a notice instructor is first implementing the use of wikis in the classroom, is for them to meet with other educators who have taught the same course and learn more about strategies they utilized to prepare themselves when first beginning new methods of technology in the classroom.
~Sarah
References
Crocker, C., Hutchings, D., Nussey, J., Park, C.L., & Springate, J. (2010). Evaluation of a teaching tool – wiki – in online graduate education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(3), p. 313.
Hi Sarah:
DeleteThank you for your return response. Your answers are just right on the mark!! I think more female students will begin to see that value of wiki technology as more instructors increasingly use it to promote collaborative/cooperative learning and learner-learner interactions. Active, engaged, and contextual/deep learning is a social process which wikis can promote (Bandura, 1977, 1986; Lave & Wenger, 1990; and Vygotsky, 1978).
~Aja
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References
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Lavem J., & Wenger, E. (1990). Situated learning: Legitimate periperal participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
I really like your wiki Aja. The layout is much better than mine. I guess I need to play around with it more. I agree with you about the various functionalities, especially the spell check feature. The functionality of each site does vary and often I find myself doing any school or work related messaging or blogging in a word document and using the edit – copy – paste function to prevent embarrassing grammatical errors. I also agree that, “Instructors who want to integrate technology into their curriculum will find this a very beneficial tool to introduce to students despite, some of its minor challenges and limitations.” I enjoyed reading your blog! Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteHi Ryan:
DeleteThank you for your return response. The blogging and wiki learning activities have become very addictive to me. I am spending a lot of time revising the layout of both platforms in order to present the content material in an engaging and interesting manner. I am starting to think that a secondary career as a graphic designer might be my second calling (LOL...LOL).
In terms of editing, Sarah, Liz, and you all use Microsoft Word to construct your initial post comments. I just find that such a time consuming process because when I do that I have to next cut and past into Notepad to get rid of the junky Microsoft HTML codes and then insert into the wiki. I do this so that it is easier to check the HTML code on the wiki if there are any formatting problems. Thanks for sharing Ryan! Have a great remaining weekend.
~Aja
Hi Aja,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you say we sit down at Skype over a pint of B&Js and you can show me how to do all the fancy blog stuff? Seriously, awesome job incorporating videos/visuals/supplemental resources to support your page and give it some spice.
I really like your first question; you probably already knew I would. The authors of the article connected their results to another study “that found that males spend more time on the Internet than females, and thereby may be comfortable with the technology aspect of using the Internet” (p. 194). Just brainstorming here, but could this be an example of the digital divide? Are women being left behind? As a stay at home parent, I think about this sometimes.
Regardless, my first thought to your question is self-efficacy. This is the belief that you are capable of accomplishing a goal. Self-efficacy defined Wlodkowski, “Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given achievements”” (2008, p. 187).
Like Tom, I would need more time to research, specifically technological self-efficacy. My power and load from McClusky’s theory of Margin is off this weekend, however, let’s start with how to improve self-efficacy. According to Wlodkowski, Bandura credits 4 sources of self-efficacy: mastering an experience/skill, social modeling, social encouragement, and psychological responses. So perhaps those four areas may be a good place to start to encouraging females in the role of technology.
Wlodkowski, R. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Hi Liz:
DeleteI would love to meet up with you; just name the day and time and I will be there. It will be great for us to catch up in general.
You ask excellent questions: "Could this be an example of the digital divide? Are women being left behind?" The general consensus is yes. According to a recent report, women are suffering a gender digital divide with technology on a large scale, world-wide (Intel, 2013; Kolb, 2013). This gender divide negatively impacts on women in multiple domains: Domestic, economic, education, employment, and political (Cravens, 2010).
~Aja
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References
Cravens, J. (2010, August 10). Women's access to public internet centers in transitional and developing countries.
Retrieved from http://www.coyotecommunications.com/development/women_internet_access.html
Intel. (2013). Women and the web. Bridging the internet gap and creating new global opportunities in low and middle-income countries. Retrieved from http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/pdf/women-and-the-web.pdf
Kolb, H. (2014, 1/14). Connectivity for Women: The Growing Digital Divide . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/henriette-kolb/connectivity-for-women-th_b_2472680.html