Dr. Barbara L.

Pittman
Further Reading:
EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) 7 Things You Shoud !no" A#out $i%is&:
htt':((""")edu*ause)edu(ELI(7ThingsYouShoud!no"A#out$i%is(+,-./7
Fried#erg0 1ere23) Using 4ogs and $i%is in 5igher Edu*ation)& htt':((3outu)#e(6r78!C#9:5;
$i%is in <ain Engish) htt':((3outu)#e(=dnL//Td2LY
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
$hat does it oo% i%e in 'ra*ti*e>
$i%is genera3 a''ear to #e t3'i*a "e#sites0 #ut "ith o#vious editing toos) So2e sites0 i%e those
using the ?edia$i%i so7t"are0 are 2ore utiitarian in a''earan*e0 #ut the3 a "or% the sa2e) $i%is
have *ear navigation 2enus and ta#es o7 *ontents0 histor3 'ages that 'er2it vie"ing o7 'revious
edits to 'ages0 *o22ents or dis*ussion areas on ea*h 'age0 and sear*h *a'a#iities) $i%is are #uit
s'e*i@*a3 7or *oa#oration a2ong users and 7or u'dating *ontent easi30 athough 3ou "i @nd
instan*es o7 "i%is used as "e#sites #3 singe users #e*ause o7 the si2'e editing0 not 7or the
*oa#orative 'ossi#iities)
Why Use a Wiki?
$hat is it>
A "i%i is a $e# 'age or site that is easi3 edited in a $e# #ro"ser "ithout the need 7or s'e*ia
so7t"are0 a 7eature that invites *oa#oration) The 2ost "e %no"n 'u#i* "i%i is $i%i'edia0 an
en*3*o'edia 2aintained #3 an ar23 o7 a2ateur vounteers) $i%is *an #e a**essed in 7ree3=hosted
environ2ents i%e Aooge Sites0 <4"or%s0 or $i%is'a*es0 hosted through a *o22er*ia hosting
servi*e or wiki farm0 or a**essed as an L?S too)
5o" does su*h a too @t into 23 *ourse>

A "i%i *an #e a great s'a*e 7or a *ass or grou' o7 students to gather0 'ost0 and dis*uss
resear*h0 %ind o7 i%e #uiding a $i%i'edia 'age on a su#Be*t) Coa#orative "riting and
editing rein7or*es good "riting and revising s%is)

A "i%i *an #e a good s'a*e 7or a student 'resentation that ao"s #oth te8t and 2edia *ontent
and invites *o22ents 7ro2 vie"ers)

$i%is have #een deveo'ed into 7u *ourse sites as aternatives or su''e2ents to institutiona
earning 2anage2ent s3ste2s (L?S)) 5ereCs a *ourse taught at Tu7ts in 9//D in a <4"or%s
"i%i: Digita De2o*ra*3 in the 9+st Centur3

$i%is *an #e used 7or 'ro7essiona or *ourse 'ort7oios0 'arti*uar3 #e*ause the si2'e editing
7a*iitates u'dating *ontent) 5een 4arrett sho"s ho" to *reate a 'ort7oio in $i%is'a*es)
Spring 2012