Wiki - 2 ways of initiating collaborative learning processes · DISC / eTSC - Dr. Dorit Günther, Monika Haberer - 29.05.2008 24 Contact DISC / eTeaching Service Center, TU Kaiserslautern

Charter SaarLorLux, Wallonia and Rhineland-Palatinate, 2nd E-Learning

Conference - „E-Learning@work“

Wiki - 2 ways of initiating collaborative learning

processes

DISC / eTeaching Service Center – Dr. Dorit Günther und Monika Haberer – 29. Mai 2008

DISC / eTSC - Dr. Dorit Günther, Monika Haberer - 29.05.2008 2

Agenda

• A look behind the scenes: conceptual process of developing an e-learning component for students of Architecture

• A blended-learning scenario for the Humanities: a collaborative student project


Collaboration with wikis

• Wikis are……tools to create websites collaboratively

•Characteristic features of wikis all users basically have rights to create and modify wiki pagesbut: differentiated rights management, access control and user

authenticationwikis are based on a simple wiki syntax and are easy to use via

Quick Buttons or WYSIWYG editors(semi)-automatic linking function links new terms to already

existing pagesall revisions in a wiki can be made available (history) and can be

restored when needed (version control)


Agenda




A look behind the scenes…

Source: “Center for New Media and Research” > http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/dr/spiral.html

identifying the innovation potential of

teaching

integrating digital media as a possible means to

improve learning settingsconception of learning scenarios integrating

digital media

introducing, evaluating, and adapting the learning

scenario

Cooperation: university teachers and e-teaching support unit


Book of Reference (BoR)

• Cooperation: chair of “Stadtbaukunst und Entwerfen” (Prof. Vollenweider) and eTeaching Service Center, since 2007

• Objective of the “Book of Reference”: creating a digital handbook of urban designtool of reference created for students by studentsmaking the chair’s activities public

http://www.uni-kl.de/bookofreference


Book of Reference (BoR)

• Course context: „Städtebau II“, lecture and tutorialthematic focus: contemporary urban design

• Course assignments:“Entwurf”analysis of a town model based on team work (groups of two): digital analysis sheets created offline, handed in as pdf files

• Setting of the media enhanced course:regular phases of attendanceonline phasesintegration of online work in phases of attendance

wiki


Book of Reference: analysis then and know

pdf file wiki

DISC / eTSC - Dr. Dorit Günther, Monika Haberer - 29.05.2008

•Workflow:choosing the wiki and making the tool available introducing course teachers to the handling of the wikiestablishing of categories of analysiscreating templates for single wiki pagesteaching students how to work with the wikicreating the contentcontent monitoring

9

Book of Reference: e-scenario

• Deliberate integration of students:computer based work already part of the students‘ training, but mostly „offline“increase of motivation and qualityefficiency of the working process: students create online materials directly

eTSCeTSCchaireTSCeTSCstudentschair


Book of Reference: tool choice

Software requirements :

simple usage from a student’s perspective

manageable maintenance and easy installation

access control (> group work)

aesthetic criteria: customisable layout (templates) meeting the needs of a certain project look

focus more on results and on the collaboration process itself than on reflexion on media usage

DokuWiki: php, based on textfiles, installation on inhouse webserver


DokuWiki: content categories I

projects &content categories


DokuWiki: content categories II


DokuWiki: acces control

writing rightsreading rights


DokuWiki: history / versions

recent changesformer versions


Agenda




Student collaboration in a wiki: confrontingconcepts of the Humanities with the virtual space

• Course contextinterdisciplinary blended-learning course at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, winter semester 2007/08 (Instructor: Dr. Dorit Günther)5 face-to-face sessions + online assignments (using the LMS Blackboard)participants: students of the Humanities (4.- 6. semester)

• Course content (learning objectives)acquiring media competence (practical work with tools + reflexion)perspective of the website visitor: analysing the form and content of academic / artistic websites by applying methods of the Humanities to the virtual space (e. g. hermeneutic interpretation, technique of deconstruction) perspective of the website architect: considering the selection and structuring of content as an act of interpretation

• Method: collaborative work using the wiki Wetpaintstudents take role of a website architect and use the Wetpaint wiki to design (in groups of 4-5) a “virtual exposition” on literaturecollaborative work: using the community and history functions of the wiki

Using a wiki for the students‘ collaborative work on a virtual exposition about literature (report from the instructor‘s perspective)


Wetpaint wiki: roles and functions

In the wiki space:The students use the tool as „administrators“, which entails full administrative rights und usage of the „Page Toolbox“: - create, rename, move, lock or delete a page- administration of wiki participants (invite or expel members)

- view „ To-Dos & Activity Reports”.


Wetpaint wiki: create pages

The wiki offers standardpage templates and theoption to create newtemplates (which areavailable to other users).

By assigning a page location, the user structures the wikipages. A hierarchicalstructure can be achieved bycreating sub-pages.


Wetpaint wiki: create pages (editor)

The navigation box displays thehierarchical structureof the wiki pages.

A click on the „EasyEdit“ buttonopens the WYSIWYG editor (no wiki syntax required).

When saving the edited page, the wiki user can add an „editnote“ to inform the collaboratorsof the changes. These notes aresaved in the page history.


Wetpaint Wiki: create structure (page links)

The Wiki also offers automaticallygenerated hyperlinks on the basisof keywords.

This hyperlink to another wiki page has been created manually (in the editor byusing the link button).

According to the course assignment, thestudents express their interpretation of the subject matter by structuring thepresented content and by creating guidedtours (via hyperlinks).

Learning objective: consider the relationof content and form in creating meaning.


Wetpaint wiki: collaborative functions

The history function shows the last page updatesand the editing history / notes of all collaborators. Former versions are saved and can be restored.


Wetpaint wiki: collaborative functions

Community functions:-Top Contributors-Cloud shows the activity of each wiki member (img size).

- Recent Site Activity shows which member has recently worked on which wiki page or forum thread.

To-Dos & Activity Reports:

- coordination of the collaborative work by assigning ToDos

- Activity of Pages shows changes- Activity of Site Members, etc.


Didactic scenario

Didactic function of using the Wetpaint wiki

acquiring media competence by using the tool

applying concepts of the Humanities on the Internet: Taking on the role of a website architect in order to try out how meaning can be created by putting form and content into relation (e. g. linkstructure), how a concept of presentation and interpretation canbe implemented into the virtual space, etc.

collaborative work (groups of 4-5 students): using the forum to settle the topic of the virtual expositionusing the forum and the „ToDo” function to assign taskscreating content (composing text & multimedia elements; link structure)editing the wiki pages of collaborators: adding content, creating links to other pages; documenting changes using the „edit note“ functionmonitoring the community activities using the report tools

reflexion on the virtual collaboration and on the result (exposition)


Contact

DISC / eTeaching Service Center, TU Kaiserslautern

Monika Haberer und Dr. Dorit GüntherE-Mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.uni-kl.de/eteaching

Documents

Wiki - 2 ways of initiating collaborative learning processes · DISC / eTSC - Dr. Dorit Günther, Monika Haberer - 29.05.2008 24 Contact DISC / eTeaching Service Center, TU Kaiserslautern