Comments on: Using Wikis in the K-12 classroom http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/08/26/using-wikis-in-the-k-12-classroom/ explorations and inspirations... in how we learn science Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:52:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bob http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/08/26/using-wikis-in-the-k-12-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-391 bob Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:59:49 +0000 http://sciencegeekgirl.com/?p=550#comment-391 I tried using a wiki in three 12th grade physics classes over the course of two years and from my experience I would say the gains do not justify the work. My goal was to build a student generated site of notes and example problems with solutions they could use for test review. I couldn't get the students to buy into the idea. I provided some example pages, headers and sub-headers waiting to be filled in and no one cared. These are the top 10% of students in the school. The only time they even looked at the page was when they had to add something and then they added the minimum that was required. It was a pain to track everyone (even with rss), to follow up the students who had failed to make their required entries and to follow up with students who hadn't met the goals of the assignment. Then there's the issue of mistakes. The students are not going to go fixing other people's mistakes even if they find them. It takes more self-confidence than most 17 year-olds have to fix a peer's mistake in a public forum. I tried using a wiki in three 12th grade physics classes over the course of two years and from my experience I would say the gains do not justify the work. My goal was to build a student generated site of notes and example problems with solutions they could use for test review. I couldn’t get the students to buy into the idea. I provided some example pages, headers and sub-headers waiting to be filled in and no one cared. These are the top 10% of students in the school. The only time they even looked at the page was when they had to add something and then they added the minimum that was required. It was a pain to track everyone (even with rss), to follow up the students who had failed to make their required entries and to follow up with students who hadn’t met the goals of the assignment. Then there’s the issue of mistakes. The students are not going to go fixing other people’s mistakes even if they find them. It takes more self-confidence than most 17 year-olds have to fix a peer’s mistake in a public forum.

]]> By: Nick http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/08/26/using-wikis-in-the-k-12-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-392 Nick Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:47:44 +0000 http://sciencegeekgirl.com/?p=550#comment-392 <blockquote>Do the gains justify the work?</blockquote> Honestly, I'm not sure. Other than introducing the concept of collaborative editing at a young age, I don't see a huge benefit to using a wiki as opposed to any other type of "science report" mechanism. I think it becomes more important as students get into high school. Then you're teaching collaborative editing and encouraging students to become an "expert" in a field. And that's something they can start building on.

Do the gains justify the work?

Honestly, I’m not sure. Other than introducing the concept of collaborative editing at a young age, I don’t see a huge benefit to using a wiki as opposed to any other type of “science report” mechanism.

I think it becomes more important as students get into high school. Then you’re teaching collaborative editing and encouraging students to become an “expert” in a field. And that’s something they can start building on.

]]> By: sciencegeekgirl http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/08/26/using-wikis-in-the-k-12-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-393 sciencegeekgirl Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:33:48 +0000 http://sciencegeekgirl.com/?p=550#comment-393 That's true, Nick, it does seem like it requires a lot of watchdogging from the teacher. The article that I quoted above goes on to say: "But What If The exchange between Jeffery, Allison and Brittany above probably sounds like the ideal. The reality is, at some point, Angel is going to log in and post some colorful explanation of a system of the human body, or delete someone’s hard work…or any number of other scary possibilities. The great thing about a wiki is that all changes are archived. As the teacher, you are capable of seeing just who made each and every change, when they worked on it, and go back to a previous version of the wiki before Angel’s little stunt." But that does require the teacher to go back and make those changes. Do the gains justify the work? That’s true, Nick, it does seem like it requires a lot of watchdogging from the teacher. The article that I quoted above goes on to say:

“But What If
The exchange between Jeffery, Allison and Brittany above probably sounds like the ideal. The reality is, at some point, Angel is going to log in and post some colorful explanation of a system of the human body, or delete someone’s hard work…or any number of other scary possibilities. The great thing about a wiki is that all changes are archived. As the teacher, you are capable of seeing just who made each and every change, when they worked on it, and go back to a previous version of the wiki before Angel’s little stunt.”

But that does require the teacher to go back and make those changes. Do the gains justify the work?

]]> By: Nick http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/08/26/using-wikis-in-the-k-12-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-394 Nick Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:40:13 +0000 http://sciencegeekgirl.com/?p=550#comment-394 This sounds like a good idea but I think traditional wikis miss the discussion that needs to occur in the example given. There's no process to tell Jeffery that Allison fixed his mistake and Jeffery has no explicit reason to revisit that page once he edits it. The moderation of these conflicts is largely left up to a studious teacher to track and bring the conflicts up with the students. It shouldn't necessarily be hands-off - the teacher is going to have to moderate a discussion to some degree - but the technology can definitely see some improvement to make it less time-consuming for teachers to manage. This sounds like a good idea but I think traditional wikis miss the discussion that needs to occur in the example given. There’s no process to tell Jeffery that Allison fixed his mistake and Jeffery has no explicit reason to revisit that page once he edits it. The moderation of these conflicts is largely left up to a studious teacher to track and bring the conflicts up with the students. It shouldn’t necessarily be hands-off – the teacher is going to have to moderate a discussion to some degree – but the technology can definitely see some improvement to make it less time-consuming for teachers to manage.

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