Using a Wiki for Your Class

It’s interesting how quickly a new piece of software can catch on with uses only limited by our imaginations. I know that wiki’s aren’t all that new, and in fact, I’ve even known about Wikipedia for quite some time (even though I’m usually behind the curve on new technology). However, what I didn’t know was exactly what a wiki could be used for and how it might be integrated into the classroom. After reading our text by Will Richardson and having a couple of discussions with instructors, suddenly I believe I’ve gone outside the box. This is sometimes a scary place to go as once outside the box, it’s difficult to reel me back in.

Richardson had some excellent examples of uses for wiki’s in the classroom including resource sharing and group projects. I created a wiki for an English class that teaches students how to read, analyze, and write about literature. I envisioned this wiki being a great supplement to an online learning environment where students could go and share information, discuss preliminary ideas, and ask questions of classmates to provide a richer online learning experience for everyone involved. This is just one possible way a wiki might be used in an English class. Something similar could be created for a biology class where students would be able to work together on information gathering and share the results of their research with the whole class. Think of the study guide you would have to work with for chapter tests and finals!

A wiki would be just as useful for a face-to-face class as an online class too. Those are just a couple of ideas I’ve had about the use of wiki’s, but I’m sure every instructor could come up with other ways to use them as well. I think the possibilities are endless! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wiki!