Wikis

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools. But with benefits that wikis provide the use and popularity of these tools is exploding.

Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project written collaboratively by volunteers. Wikis as we use them in education share many of those characteristics.

Some of the benefits that make the use of wikis so attractive are:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Wikis can be private or public to view and edit.
• Provides a genuine collaborative environment.
• Allow you to embed and work with Web 2.0 tools.
• Space for continual editing and improvement.
• Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what has been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
• Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.

Wikis provide an opportunity for students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community members to actively create new information for others and to collaborate and share knowledge

There are hundreds of opinions on which wiki software is the best. One helpful guide is Wiki Matrix, which provides a comparison. Users can select wikis, evaluate the contents and features, and compare the software.

Wikis are very easy to use – simply sign up for one and start typing!

Wikis in Plain English

What is a Wiki?

Here are some examples of popular Wiki tools in education:

Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com/
Wetpaint http://www.wetpaint.com/
PDWiki http://pbwiki.com/
Media Wiki http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki

Like many on-line environments, wikis create the possibility for collaboration. But because of the unique environment of wikis, the collaborative potential has resulted in some pretty impressive 21st century learning .

The two best-known examples are The Flat Classroom Project and The Horizon Project. Take the time to explore these. But don’t be daunted – these were the experts! Instead, look closely at the extraordinary achievements of the students involved. Listen to John Pearce talk about blogs, wikis and podcasts in It’s Elementary, and you will soon want to ‘have a go’ yourself!

Wiki Smarts

For Teachers New to Wikis
Getting Started with Wikispaces For Educators
How to set up your own Wiki
Which Wiki is Right for You?
How I use wikis in the classroom What do you do?
Using Wikis in Schools
Wiki as a Teaching Tool

Create a class wiki with Wikispaces