Benefits+of+Wikis

Benefits of Using Wikis

=Overall benefits of Wikis (quoted from [|Siteground WIki Overview]) =

Comparison of the best free wiki software
One of the most outstanding technologies developed and improved during the last decade is the wiki engine. With this web-based application every user is capable to create a comprehensive knowledge base or an interactive website on any personal, corporate or social topic, and share it with the user's community. The wiki engine enables each member to search, read, add and edit articles, and thus improve the content of the wiki. Wiki software can be downloaded as a ready-made tool and in the majority of cases its use is free of charge.

Wiki main advantages:
The following list shows some of the main advantages of a wiki engine, that contribute to wiki being a fascinating collaborative and knowledge base software:
 * Wiki requires only basic programming skills and thus is simple to use and maintain.
 * Wiki provides easy text formatting and docs linking tools.
 * Members can create content (articles, manuals and other documents) independently of each other.
 * Wikis are mostly free and open source.
 * There is a bottom-up structure approach and simple navigation.
 * Connection to other wikis is possible.
 * Wikis have broad fields of application.

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Creativity

Wikis allow for students to develop projects online in a manner that allows them to learn and demonstrate their learning in endless ways using combinations of all that the web has to offer. Every time I implement a Wiki base project, my students find a new tool, trick, or unique way of doing things that I did not know about. As I am sure you all do, talk to your students about what they are doing and how they are figuring things out. They will come up with stuff that surprises you.

Collaboration

Wikis provide a way for students to work collaboratively together on a variety of projects both at home and at school. They allow for students to develop skills of working towards a common goal, communicating in groups, dividing tasks, and other skills related to developing and working in a group. The skills that can be developed in this area are really only limited by how you as the instructor design the project.

Useful for a Review

Wiki projects can be set up to design essentially a summative digital portfolio that is available online for any computer that has internet access. As such, as students are developing the project they are learning the material. You as the teacher need to assess the material. In the past, when I did portfolio projects that students physically handed in, it would take me a few days to grade them. The entire time, they were in my possession, so students were unable to review what they had developed. By having the students develop online portfolios (or other summative projects) using wikis, the students and you can have access to their final project at the same time, giving the students access to materials that can help them greatly in reviewing the material for a unit test or final exam.

Ease for You

I have found wikis to be fairly easy to use from a knowledge standpoint. Clearly, you do not need to be a computer programmer to develop Wikis. Additionally, being able to correct projects without having to carry them around with you is a really nice bonus.

Documentation

Have you ever received an email from a parent, counselor, or special education teacher asking you how "Johnny" is progressing on a project? If the project is developed in a Wiki, you can clearly see how far he is progressing, and so can anyone else who has a computer with internet access. Additionally, have you ever had students working in a group on a project where one student didn't do what they were supposed to? With Wikis and the revisions tab (see below) you are able to clearly show how much a student had done at a certain point in time.

Tracking Student Progress

Using the revisions tab at the top, you can track when students have edited Wiki pages, who is editing the pages, when the edits were made, and how much was done in each step. This is really helpful for when you have a project, since it allows you to clearly see how your students are progressing. Additionally, if you have students in groups, you can use this feature to track how students are working together in a group.

Online Examples from Past Years

If you develop a project that you and the students really like and that is effective in helping the students learn the material, you can post examples online for other students to see. This works especially well if the project is fairly unique, since students are able to see what to do but are not able to see something that is exactly the same as what they are doing... I do this frequently with my Sociology Media Project.

Ease of Use for the Student

With our students growing up around a lot of technology, they seem to pick up technology related tools very quickly. As such, I have found Wiki spaces to be very user friendly for the students. I would say that by the end of the class there are a few students that know more about the technical aspects of the Wiki than I do. This is nice in many ways: it minimizes the time you have to spend walking around teaching the students how to use the Wiki, it allows for a level of creativity that frequently suprises you, and allows for more advanced students to help others.

Communication

Using the discussion board on each page, students can communicate about who is doing certain parts of a project developed on a Wiki, engage in debates and discussions on the Wiki, or post links to areas of information. Students could also edit the Wiki page to communicate messages if needed.