Wikis and Blogs
How can wikis and blogs directly support students becoming producers of knowledge?
Blogs can be very effective *if* they are structured and have a SME/moderator to ensure everyone stays on task. Otherwise, the discussions have a tendency to wander off track. Wikis, on the other hand, allow for much more flexibility in that the content can be changed, which, on the positive side can add to the discussion, but on the flip side, can be dysfunctional if the content is incorrect. Wikis should have a SME editor to ensure the content remains accurate.
Hi Jolly,
As you mention there can be different uses for each of these tools. If a blog is used as a self reflection journal to provide students with a personal learning space, then it would need to be set up accordingly and not as much moderated as, however, supported through comments etc. If either tool is being used to support direct content of a course, then yes, the moderator should have content expertise. If either is being used as a project tool then it would again be set up differently with different expectations and with time lines. Everything, as always, depends on the outcomes...
Blogs allow for the free flow exchange of information and can create great interaction among the students. Blogs need to be monitored but an active blog should have less "formal structure" than the standard classroom discussion board. This encourages greater activity among the participants.
I am not as familar with Wikis so I can't speak with confidence on the amount of structure or control that should be imposed.
Hi Glenda,
Blogs are a wonderful tool for students to publish their own voice in the learning process. This kind of reflective practice is not only good for the students but also helps the instructor gain an insight into the thinking of the students. Yes, blogs need to be monitored in the sense that comments should be made to blogs posts when the blogs are used for instruction, however, the challenge is to find the approach whereby instructors support rather than intrude on the space.
Wikis are more collaborative and only work, in my experience, when specific tasks and timelines are created.
Wikis and blogs are created by students, so their very structure innately requires the user to be a "producer of knowledge." I am more of a wiki fan than blogs, the reason being there are so many, well too many, blogs out there now and who really spends the time to read them? I know some people have their favorite blogger, which fine, but it is very similar to having a favorite editor or critic. I often find blogs to be more of a diary or in some cases a rant by an individual, which is just not interesting to me. One positive aspect of blogs is it does democratize the internet in that everyone can potential self-publish their thoughts and experiences.
Wikis, however, require students to interact and collaborate to create the content for the wiki – and there are some very excellent wikis out there. The collaboration is the important aspect of wikis as online activities used to be rather solitary in nature [web 1.0 stuff]. The fact that students authored them makes them all-the-more interesting and encouraging because of the skills students tap into while creating a wiki – collaboration, critical thinking, negotiation, project completion, etc.
Great points, Ron, and they support the overall concept of instructional design. That is, being aware of the strengths of the tools and how they can best support learning: sometimes Blogs, sometimes Wikis.
Wikis allow students to edit and add to a document they are reading and therefore be authors as well as editors. This reinforces critical thinking and reading comprehension. Blogs allow students to journal about their learning experiences and receive feedback from peers on their comments.
I agree, Tomi, and one of the greatest benefits of each of these is that students gain opportunities to raise and develop their own voice in learning and, therefore, raise their confidence as well.
Dr. Reynard,
I find wikis and blogs can greatly enhance student interaction. The student becomes a participant rather than just an observer or spectator. New ideas and concepts can be generated. A challenge to "idea generation" involves the integrity of the information created. Boundaries and parameters must be established.
Great points, Angela! ...and this can move the students closer to actual knowledge construction rather than simply information sharing - that is, building on ides and modifying ideas towards new knowledge.
Angela, I agree fully with your remarks regarding the impact of Wikis on interaction. In the earlier forum, i had shared with the team that we had resorted to wiki's in some of our course discussion boards for this very reason. It reminds me of what Senge called for in the 90s when he spoke of communities of knowledge where one builds on the informational foundation of another. I strongly believe that this is in line with the double loop learning we often preach.
Samia
Indeed, Samia, and it is so important for instructors to be committed to the development and support of those communities in order for the process to be both successful and valued.
I think the wiki idea is one my university probably needs to explore a bit more. Currently they aren't allowed to use wikis as references because they ARE authored by the community at large, and may not always contain accurate information. However, creating our own wiki with the instructor facilitating and monitoring could be a very valuable tool. Again, that places the responsibility on us as instructors to really think, plan and structure so that the wiki is a valuable collaborative tool, rather than an iffy source of outside information.
My use of wikis and blog has been minimul but when implemented has been effective. The students can use the wikis/blogs to transfer knowledge aroun the discussion and to have the knowledge archived for a wider distribution. Knowledge and learning are produced by the interaction of the students related to a topic.
Yes, Francis, the use of Wikis and blogs can be very successful in a learning environment - of course maximizing the differences in those as well as the similarities.
Blogs and Wikis (I much prefer the later) allow the students to add their own evaluations to the knowledge that others are sharing. It is a discussion based format, which by default instigates learning and involvement. New ideas come to those who have discussion with others, it is almost like having a second set of eyes to look something over.
-Chris
Yes, Chris, Wikis provide a great collaborative tool. Try blogs sometime as a tool for self reflection or journaling. I have used it successfully with students to create an ongoing annotated bibliography of relevant texts (with graduate students0. It helps students to track their own thinking more systematically through a course.
Thanks for the suggestions, I will give it a try.
-Chris
The use of blogs in the classroom can be very effective, but I believe that an important aspect of having an effective classroom blog is to have some methods of monitoring it in place. Blogs allow students the opportunity to express themselves. I do not believe in stunting a student's creativity, but in order for blogs to remain on topic, not stray to far from topic or not to be inappropriate, there needs to be some monitoring.
