Wikis

Good day all,
Wiki's are a great tool for collaborative learning, students can source information on the web and add or critique information toward that topic. In theory, wiki's can be used as on-line collaborative smartboard that anybody can contribute to, this is engaging as ideas can be pulled apart, creating cognitive learning outcomes.
Students can take part in discussions about there topic anytime anywhere while sourcing information on the task through other ICT's to fuel their involvement towards group discussions. This is relevant in theory to Sternberg’s Triarchic Intelligences (Mclnerney, Mclnerney, 2006, pg 75),encouraging students to explore and create a wider collaborative learning environment, through optimizing opportunities.

Perhaps the best example of a Wiki in action today is Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia. It is important to keep in mind that due to the open nature of the site not all information can be taken as fact. This in itself can be used as a learning tool to decipher the fact from fiction toward a topic.

Thanks for reading,

Shaun Morris

Mclnerney,D.,M., Mclnerney,V.(2006), Educational Psychology, Constructing Learning, Frenchs Forest, Nsw, Pearson Education Australia.

Wikepedia, viewed on 29th July, 2009 at, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page