Thursday, November 11, 2010

Wikis

Below is the link to my wiki


A wiki is a space online where groups of people can share ideas and content. I created my wiki using the website: http://www.wikispaces.com

SWOT analysis of a wiki:

Strengths:
- great for collaborative learning
- accessible anywhere (as long as there is internet access)
- can upload text, images, sound etc
- easy to edit
- can be blocked so that only members of the wiki can edit it
- engaging
- everyone has the opportunity to contribute
- digital portfolio
-develops communication between students

Weaknesses
- the teacher does not have complete control of the site so it needs to be scaffolded appropriately to ensure that learners achieve the best outcomes from it.
- some wiki sites may be blocked on school computers
- awareness for teachers
- in some instances face to face communication would be more appropriate.

Threats
- a wiki is just a space, it is useless unless scaffolded and used in a meaningful context.
- a wiki allows for a member to wipe the ideas of someone else and put new ones in - the teacher would need to make sure that the wiki is fair for all users.

Opportunities
- to brainstorm ideas
- the teacher knows what each learner is thinking
- if used correctly can promote higher order thinking.

Links to theory:
If constructed properly the wiki could be a way of utilising a constructivist approach. All the learners have the potential to build upon their own ideas and learning with the assistance of others.



No comments:

Post a Comment