Design, Creativity, and New Media » Independent Research Projects » Class Wiki2

Class Wiki 2.0

Authors: Dain Cilke , Matthew Clark , Scott Keller , Ian York

Abstract:

Wikis are a part of our everyday lives and a great way of spreading information;
however, how can we better align the xwiki tools and educational practices to enhance
participation and foster collaboration.

Keywords:

wiki, collaboration, education, classroom, community, usability

Statement of the Problem:

After exploring learning support systems related to Sketch-up, we
decided instead to focus on the class wiki and identify enhancements that may help facilitate both
digital and social system participation. Our goal has been to build upon the successes of the
current class wiki and expand the overall utility of the wiki for future classes. By reviewing the
current systems, as well as related class practices, we determined four areas around which we
could develop wiki-related technology and exercises:
 Individuality versus collaboration in content authorship
 Creativity versus consistency in content creation and display
 Page verses meta views in content awareness and navigation
 Directed versus spontaneous group formation around class topics
Our understanding of the issues has changed over time as we have explored the current literature
and uncovered various implementation difficulties. Because we are working within the predeveloped
framework of the XWiki software, we've made some pragmatic compromises with our
original designs, while still maintaining the goal of improved wiki utility.

Rationale:

Our class wiki provides an immediate example of the interplay between digital and social
systems. As wikis provide a content-neutral platform for groups to create, review, and edit
content, the substance of a wiki directly reflects the social practices of the contributors. When
used in a classroom, a wiki provides a unique opportunity to explore the challenges and
complexities of digital and social collaboration.
For clarity, a wiki is usually defined as a collection of web pages designed to allow anyone to
contribute or edit. Wikis differ from more traditional web sites in that the content creation and
revision is more distributed in time and contributors, and in that the page creation process is
Fischer/Eden 15 DCNM Course, Spring 2009
often greatly simplified requiring only a web browser. These differences create new dynamics
around the wiki content allowing for collaboration during construction of information and
understanding. Interest in using a wiki in the classroom often centers on these collaborative and
constructive possibilities.
Of course, the presence of a wiki does not immediately transform a classroom into a collaborative
environment. Years of classroom experiences, for both teachers and students, can work to
predefine or limit the possibilities of a wiki. Often times, class wikis end up acting simply as
educator directed content management systems, helping to simply administer handouts and
assignments. However, when consciously leveraged, wikis may act as a fulcrum point around
which both social and technological practices can be pivoted towards greater collaboration.
Classrooms differ from many wiki environments in that the assessment process can direct
individuals to differing modes of participation and help guide an exploration of the technical and
social uses of a class wiki. Most public wikis depend on the willingness of individuals to
participate and, like many social web tools, can struggle to maintain an active community.
Classrooms naturally provide that community of interest, although perhaps only for a limited
time, as compared to public wikis. By using assessment as the leverage, teachers can use the wiki
to guide students to explore various possibilities for participation over the duration of the class.
However, wikis also allow for students to help direct class practices as well through a greater
potential for interaction, communication, and coordination. Students can more easily view the
contributions of their peers, which can allow them to find exemplars of current and past work,
build upon peer contributions, even redirect assignments entirely when class consensus emerges.
This greater awareness of peer actions provided by the wiki plays a direct role developing norms
for the class regarding mode and degree of participation, as well as depth and style of content.
Through the interplay of both teacher and student actions, class practices must evolve to provide
direction and purpose to a wiki. While a strictly hands-off, ethnographic approach can help
research how a class might choose to use a wiki, the constant competition for the time of teachers
and students in an academic environment can quickly deprioritize wiki work regardless of the
interest level. Directing wiki work through structured activities and assessment can help
establish a foundation of familiarity and help outline the options for a class to better explore the
domain of digital and social systems