Edublogs Live

“This post was written by Sue Waters”

This second session from “Go Wild With Wikis” series (Classroom 2.0 beginners series) focused on the reasons why wikis are used for collaborative projects, tips for collaborating using wikis and showcased examples of global collaborative projects that use wikis.

Experience of participants who attended the session in terms of using wikis for collaboration is shown in the table below.

Using Web 2.0 tools with students

Web 2.0 provides us with tools that allow us to easily create, participate, share, communicate information and collaborate in ways that previously we couldn’t. These tools mean our students can work with students in other parts of the World; and even content experts, to connect and/or collaborate on projects to gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding on topics that interest them.

A common trap for new people to using Web 2.0 tools is to choose a tool they want to use and then try to make it achieve the outcomes they want to achieve. A key message was to always remember what outcome you are trying to achieve with your students then consider which tool is the best.

For example, if you want students to work on a project together to produce a final product you might choose a wiki or Google Documents. Whereas if you wanted students to reflect on what they are learning, or interact, connect and ask questions of others than blogs or Ning communities are better suited to the task.

Collaboration using Wikis

During the session we brainstormed the reasons why educators use wikis to collaborate (as shown below in the screenshot – 58 people). Skills students gain from using Web 2.0 tools effectively to collaborate assist their current learning and provide skills that aid their future careers.

Tips for Collaborating

A common trap for educators is the assumption that people know how to collaborate. The reality is most people don’t have good collaboration skills.

For example, take a group of 5 educators and ask them to create a presentation in Google Presentations. Unless you provide strong guidance of what is collaboration your most likely outcome will be 5 slides, one slide per person, prepared independently of each other with no collaboration or exchange of ideas. That isn’t collaboration!

When you move students online good collaboration skills become even more important; without these guidelines you can end up with extremely bad results. Below are brainstorming ideas from the participants on tips for collaborating.

Examples of Global Projects

The Flat Classroom projects (set up by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay in 2006) were used examples of collaborative projects using the wikis. The idea was not for the participants to think they had to become involved in these types of large scaled projects but to get ideas of how to use wikis from educators with extensive experience using them.

These projects involved students from different locations in the World collaborating to create information and content on topics based chapters from the books “The World is Flat”, “Grown up Digital” and “The Horizon report”.

Check out:

1. Net Gen Ning – for students/educators to connect and communicate with each other and Don Tapscott (author of “Grown up Digital”).
2. Net Gen Wiki – for students to create their information and content on their topic

Recording (60 mins):

1. Elluminate recording
2. mp3 recording
3. Video recording (mp4)
4. Chat log

Blog posts and discussion forum

• Introducing The Classroom 2.0 LIVE! Beginner Series! – Sue Waters (read comments for helpful tips on using wikis especially issues with students overwriting each others work and need to use discussion tab)
• What is a Wiki – Anne Mirtschin
• The Flat Classroom Projects from a Paricipant’s Point of View – Anne Mirtschin
• Classroom 2.0 discussion on Go Wild With Wiki session