Preparation for face-to-face session

The objectives of this course activity are to

• become more familiar with wikis
• understand the role of wikis in supporting collaboration in learning.

Before the facilitated session, read the document ‘7 things you should know about wikis’ [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

Reflect on the sections ‘Why is it significant?’ and ‘What are the downsides?’ In the context of your group of learners, think about how you can make use of wikis as a tool in collaborative activities and what safeguards you may have to think about to ensure any wiki space works effectively and safely. Make some notes that include opportunities or concerns you have identified around the use of wikis with your learners from your reading so far.

The objective of this course activity is to become more aware of research that has been carried out into the use of wikis in secondary schools in England.

The article 'Using Wikis in Schools: a Case Study' is a case study of wiki use for collaboration in a Gloucestershire secondary school. It is a research paper, and has sections relating to background literature and methodology. You may want to read the whole paper; however, if you want to just dip in and pull out the most relevant content, the findings section begins on page 5.

Read through the Findings section and the conclusion. Focus on the students’ behaviour and response to the opportunity to contribute to the wiki. Do any of the anecdotes and examples resonate with your experience with your own learners?

Make notes from your reading that include any further thoughts on how your learners would respond to using wikis collaboratively.

The objective of this course activity is to understand the issues identified by Becta in the use and management of wikis in classroom situations.

In 2008, Becta published the results of a study of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Key Stage 3 and 4 classrooms. You can access this report here. This is a lengthy report covering all aspects of Web 2.0 tools (including social networking and blogging) but there are some sections that focus on the use of wikis.Go to page 20 of the report for statistics relating to teacher perceptions of wikis and experiences of their use in the classroom. Reflect on the final bullet point that relates to use of wikis and their management. Think about whether wiki management could be an issue for you and your learners and how you might deal with this, for example, creating wikis for smaller groups and introducing a code of conduct. Add to your notes from the previous activities any further thoughts arising from your reading.

Go to page 34 and read the section that considers the issues of private versus collaborative learning. An important point is made here about some learners who prefer their own private space for learning and therefore find it difficult to engage in collaborative activities. Reflect on whether any of your learners may have this preference and could find collaboration through a wiki to be difficult. Could you encourage such learners to become involved by careful selection of a small group of students to work on a wiki-based activity? Again, add any thoughts you have to your notes.

(Optional reading) You may be interested in the wider use of Web 2.0 tools in school and the Becta report covers a wide range of these so read on for more information. If you would like to learn more about these tools post a message in the Vital community forum to request more courses related to the use of Web 2.0 tools in secondary school classrooms.