Learning & Teaching Learning & Teaching with Wikis & Blogswith Wikis & Blogs

Denise BuckleyDenise BuckleyLearning Development OfficerLearning Development Officer

Learning & Teaching Development UnitLearning & Teaching Development Unit

Workshop LayoutWorkshop Layout

10am – 11am: Wikis

Break

11.10am – 12 noon: Blogs

WikisWikis• Hawaiian for Quick! Bus transfer service

Honolulu airport• A wiki is a website which can be edited

individually or collaboratively, using the Internet browser

• Ward Cunningham, developer of the first wiki WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as – "the simplest online database that could possibly

work".

(Wikipedia 2007)

Examples of WikisExamples of Wikis

First WikiMost popular: WikipediaMediawiki (free but need to host system files on a webserver)

Wikispaces (free but can pay for extra functions)

Confluence (Ideal for large scale & corporate institutions)

Writeboard (very simple, free wiki, good introduction)

Jotspot (free, recently purchased by Google)PBWiki (free, easy to use)

Tools within WikisTools within Wikis

• Browser based editing• Access control (all visitors or login only)• Wiki mark up (formatting)• Tracking version history • Version comparison• Page version rollback• Discussion pages• Automatic page edit alerts• Locking current page version

Precautions using WikisPrecautions using Wikis

• Open & easy access for editing – open door to malicious changes (vandalism)

• Vulnerable to spamming (aims to advertise product or links to websites/improve google search rank)

• Edit wars! (two contributors with opposing opinions)

Approaches to problemsApproaches to problems

• Wiki editing community - deal with problematic edits• Wikis provide facilities for users to act as

administrators (sysops) – oversee groups of pages & ability to block users

• Spamming restricted by editing user access & monitoring pages with automatic updates

• Edit wars can be overcome by a Wiki Administrator or by both contributors using Discussion area

Learning & Teaching with WikisLearning & Teaching with Wikis

• New/different web resource for tutors & student• Student participation/involvement– active

– Gilly Salmons “Transformation”• Integrate with VLE – Blackboard• Ideal for group authoring (contributors revealed)• Flexible for any type of structure/layout• Collaborative tool• Web publishing without HTML/Frontpage/Dreamweaver

- Improved connectedness, collaboration & construction of knowledge (Mader, 2006)

Things to be aware of …Things to be aware of …

• Wiki mark up (formatting)

• Managing wiki (commitment)

• No predefined structure

• Open to all (sensitive information)

• Clear policies (ownership & copyright of pages)

Examples of how wikis can be Examples of how wikis can be used in learning & teachingused in learning & teaching

• Wikis authored by staff • Wikis authored by students

– (Group work: assignments, discussions, peer feedback, student feedback to staff, individual portfolios)

• Wikis authored and used by both staff & students– (Marking schemes for assignments, subject glossaries, FAQ’s,

discussion forum, case studies, writing agendas etc)

• Wikis - publicly available and created by others – (source of information, model of how knowledge is constructed, develop

writing and research skills by contributing to existing wiki)

Learning & Teaching WikisLearning & Teaching Wikis

Sheffield Hallam University

University of East Anglia

Leeds University

Wikis as referencesWikis as references

• “Please help me. I got an F on my paper because I cited Wikipedia…”(The Wired Campus 2006)

• For Wikipedia: – Overall information accurate & useful– errors dealt with quickly & by anyone– promotes a neutral point of view– constant peer review by many is better than one off

review by few

• Against Wikipedia: – Inaccuracy!

Planning to use a WikiPlanning to use a Wiki• Motivating students to participate

– Assign authoring/editing responsibilities to individuals or groups

– Use interaction as part of assessment– Integrate wiki into course

• Provide direction & student ownership– Initiate interactions but allow student autonomy

• Monitoring & assessing– Monitor for inappropriate content, control edit wars, track

individual participation & provide feedback

Setting up your wikiSetting up your wiki

• http://pbwiki.com

• http://ltdu.pbwiki.com

BreakBreak

BlogsBlogs• Short for web log

– Original blogs – link driven – listed links of interest– Personal journal – independent of web logs – Blog (online diary)

• A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in reverse order (recent entries first).

(Wikipedia 2007)

• One of most common types of website on the Internet – over 66 million!

(Technorati Feb 2007)

• Used for: – personal diaries– Opinions– journalist reports,– real-time commentary on live events– providing news– customer/student help information

Examples of BlogsExamples of Blogs

Blogger (free and most popular, now owned by Google)

WordPress (free alternative)

Bloglines (free blog tool with other facilities such as search and subscriptions to blogs and news)

Typepad (a subscription based blog system aimed at commercial applications)

Elgg (Open source software (non-commercial) for social networking that can host a community of blogs (Swansea, Leeds Universities)

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/index.html

Tools within BlogsTools within Blogs

• Authorising tools

• Search facility

• Add public comments

• Automatic archiving of previous entries• News feed – subscribe to a specific blog &

receive automatic alerted to new posts

Activities associated with BlogsActivities associated with Blogs

1. Reading existing blogs– Add comments

2. Writing own blog

Learning & Teaching with BlogsLearning & Teaching with Blogs

• New/different web resource for tutors & student• Student participation – active –

– Gilly Salmons “Transformation”• Integrate with Blackboard• Flexible for any type of structure/layout• Encourages Reflection• Encourages writing skills• Facility for visitors to leave comments –

– contacts can be made, discussions built upon, communities formed

Things to be aware of …Things to be aware of …• Entirely owned by author –

– no control over what is posted for public viewing– Blogging system hosted by the University – Staff

member control to remove offensive postings• Externally hosted systems allow anonymous

postings in comments area!!• Long term blogging requires motivation and

desire to participate– Encourage students to engage in subjects and

communities of interest– Start with reading– Then reflect, criticize, question, react

• (the writing of a blog is the exposure of your thoughts)

Examples of how Blogs can be Examples of how Blogs can be used in learning & teachingused in learning & teaching

Students:• Personal Development Portfolios• Project Logs• Placement Journals

– Feedback & support can be directly given• Groups blogs (seminar sessions, summaries of group

work)• Peer assessment & review• Alumni communities for graduatesStaff:• Post course details & related news, organise seminars,

in class discussion, reference materials, opinions on publications, FAQ’s

5 applications for blogs in the classroom5 applications for blogs in the classroom

1. Replace traditional webpages

2. Linking websites – blogs written about websites

3. In class discussion

4. Class seminars & summaries of readings

5. Writing own blogs(Downes, 2006)

Learning & Teaching BlogsLearning & Teaching Blogs

University of WarwickHighest profile academic blogging system in the UK – launched 2004 – designed & built specifically for staff & students – 4000 blogs hosted

University of Glamorgan

UWIC

Planning to use a BlogPlanning to use a Blog• Questions:

– Who is going to author a blog, tutor or student or both?– How will you motivate the students?– Which blogs will be read by students?– How will you assess the quality of the information in the blog?– Will students be encouraged to enter into discussions etc?– How will you monitor the blogs?– If using blogs for assessment – how will it be marked?– Time length for blogs?– Evaluation if added to the teaching & learning experience?

Setting up your BlogSetting up your Blog

• http://www.blogger.com

• http://denise-learningandteaching.blogspot.com

What's next for UWIC…What's next for UWIC…

• Campus Pack (Learning Objects)– Wikis– Blogs– Facility to store Podcasts– PDP: E-Portfolios per student account– Search tools

• Trial in November• Roll out January