Wiki’s, Blogs, and Websites
I have created my first wiki and blog. The scaffolding of the activities was clearly laid out as per the creation. Adding content was less clear and I will admit I have had a hard time getting the content to turnout as I wanted. Several other GDLT students were quick to help out and get me pointed in the right direction. One of the big problems I have with this activity and the ones that follow is the lack of a consistent platform upon which everyone works. I use an Apple Mac, but most of the setup is for Windows machines. I suspect this would not be as much of an issue in schools, with the platform and software consistent across the school.
WIKI’S
I can see how the use of a Wiki would be valuable for creating constructivist-learning outcomes for students. The wiki lends itself to developing higher order thinking skills through the use of graphic organizers and thinking routines that help promote the use of higher order thinking. In this exercise I have used a Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI) organiser to discuss the merits and disadvantages of using Wiki’s as a learning tool. My Wiki can be viewed (here).
Plus | Minus | Interesting/Implications |
· Easily accommodates higher order thinking skills like compare/contrast, critical reflection, and analysis. · Excellent resource for collaborative learning · Accommodates different learning styles · Allows learning anytime anywhere · | · Technical issues can lead to frustration and detract from the learning experience · Copy write issues could lead to legal liability · Not all schools embrace this learning medium · Students have different levels of comfort with technology and not all embrace eLearning · Potential for inappropriate use · Students edits could lead to difficulties | · Liability for school/teacher could limit the potential use · Wiki’s have not (yet?) been widely embraced by the business community · Password protected network a must, but is it available to all schools? · Cyber bullying |
I can anticipate a wiki being useful in my subject area of Business. Marketing, economics, organisational structure, managerial control, and organisational behavior are some of the areas where I believe a Wiki would be an appropriate tool to enhance learning outcomes. I believe Design Technology (Manual Arts), provides fewer opportunities for the use of Wiki’s. Depending on the available time and proposed learning outcomes, it could be a useful tool for design comparison and analysis, but many students prefer to work independently. After some initial brainstorming, most students I have encountered prefer to carryout their designs without letting their cohort see their work.
WEBSITE
I can understand how a website is useful as a resource for class information and as a repository for data relating to assignments, schedules, and useful links. It provides a useful service to students to connect the real classroom to the virtual classroom. I would personally prefer to use the existing school infrastructure for this. Using a school based platform like Moodle or The Learning Place would connect with other resources the school is already aligned to. The addition of password protection available to the school sites helps protect students. A website available to everyone is not a place to list any student sensitive data or pictures. I would be uncomfortable with the legal and ethical implications involved in the open access a website provides. Additionally, most schools appear to already have a website. I cannot see how an administration would tolerate a separate website as opposed to a new page on the existing school server.
I have created my own web site (here) and can see how it could be used for an information repository. Web 1.0 will only allow me to edit content but the new web 2.0 creates somewhat of a cross between a website, a Wiki, and a blog. Users are invited to join and then have the ability to contribute to content. Without a secure password protection this could have significant legal and ethical implications for a teacher and their school. I have read the relevant section in smartcopying and I do not feel comfortable making the decision about copyright legality. I personally would want someone at my school with greater expertise in this area to make the decisions about questionable content. For instance if I post a picture of my students on my website, would this be covered by the schools signed waiver allowing a students picture to be used? Perhaps it is my background, having come from the litigious US, but I am somewhat uncomfortable with this issue. The bottom line for this author is: Use the existing school site to create and post content.
BLOGS
Having already commented on the use of blogs in earlier postings, I will keep my remarks brief. I have looked at some student driven blogs on the Internet and have discovered a rather annoying trend. Many blogs have had their comment section high-jacked by commenter’s seeking to advertise their products, own sites, or as a place to post derogatory comments. One of the comment sections I read led to a site detailing how to bypass a schools’ Internet filter. The site gave a range of options depending on how the school has configured their firewall.
I can see that the comment section in particular could potentially be a large source of legal and ethical issues for a teacher and the school.
POST SCRIPT
I talked to the IT administrator at a private school in the area. They currently use Moodle as the platform for school Internet activities. I asked about the use of Wiki’s, blogs and websites at the school. The reply was there is not as much use as perhaps there should be. The school supports the use of these tools but it is left to individual teachers to implement them. Many teachers have been teaching for many years and have yet to embrace ICT’s and integrate them into their learning programs. The school feels the use of technology will grow through hiring new teachers that already posses these skills to replace retiring staff who may lack a commitment to the use of ICT’s.
The largest impediment to the use of Wiki’s and blogs is the anonymity of Moodle. Students must log on, but once they do there is no way to track who has left a particular comment. The feeling is that this leaves the system open to abuse as well as cyber-bullying. A teacher that has a separate website would be strongly encouraged to instead incorporate it into the existing Moodle site.
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