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Running head: USE OF WIKIS IN THE CLASSROOMUse of Wikis in the Classroom: What are the Advantages vs. Disadvantages?Kathy CobbUniversity of West GeorgiaAbstractAs technology grows in leaps and bounds teachers are looking for new and innovative ways to successfully incorporate it into the classroom. A wiki is one of the technologies that have been used in the classroom to support collaborative and creative learning. This new form of interaction has been met with some resistance by teachers and uneasiness by students. The purpose of this literature review is to define wikis and determine the advantage and disadvantage of their use in the classroom. This review analyzes research in six major categories of the advantages and disadvantages of using wikis: collaboration, critical thinking, pedagogy, attitudes, adaption, and cost. It is acknowledged throughout this review that success with wiki technology depends on careful planning and implementation.Use of Wikis in the Classroom: Advantages vs. DisadvantagesIntegrating the many different learning styles of students has been a challenge for teachers over the years. Many teachers are turning to Web 2.0 technologies for new and innovative ideas to incorporate into the classroom. One that has been gaining the attention of educators is a wikispace or wiki. Raman, Ryan, and Olfman (2005) state that, “A wiki is a group collaboration software tool based on web server technology” (p. 311). Wikis are easy to learn and most anyone can understand how to use their key features. Due to the increased implementation of wikis many researchers are examining the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology in the classroom. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the rewards and penalties of incorporating wikis as an instruction tool in the classroom. The research questions guiding this review are as follows: 1) Do wikis provide collaborative features and learning opportunities? 2) Do wikis build critical thinking skills in students? 3) What challenges do teachers face when incorporating wikis? 4) What are student’s attitudes toward wikis? 5) Are wikis difficult for students and educators to adapt? 6) Are wikis expensive to implement? These questions are answered by an extensive literature review from major scholarly journals addressing this subject.MethodsIn order to gather resources for this literature review, a search of the electronic databases of Galileo and EBSCOhost was conducted through the University of West Georgia Ingram Library website. Functions were used to limit the search to peer-reviewed scholarly journals. Emphasis was placed on finding research articles relating to wikis in education. Key words and phrases for the search included wikis, Web 2.0, education, technology, advantages, and disadvantages. A total of 15 articles were selected and reviewed to gather information on the use of wikis in the classroom. The methods used in the 15 articles were an assortment of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed. Data analysis consisted of standards descriptive statistics and analysis of student interviews.Advantages vs. DisadvantagesCollaborationWeb 2.0 tools are the future of our classroom. Students love social networking, playing games in a virtual world, and listening to music as a podcast on their MP3 player. Harris and Rea (2009) investigate the different types of Web 2.0 technologies, looking at how they can be used in information systems education, and examine some the advantages and disadvantages of using them in the classroom. In investigating wikis in a information system classroom Harris and Rea (2009) found that wikis can be used in project development with peer review, as a group authoring tool, to track a group project, to collect data for a class project, for class and teacher evaluation, and for tracking research groups (p. 139). The authors presented a long list of how a wiki can be used as a constructive teaching tool in the classroom. One of the advantages that Harris and Rea (2009) found is that by using wikis, collaboration and competition increases learning. Students become a part of the lesson and the classroom is available 24/7. Some disadvantages that the authors recognize are computing resources must be available, web resources can be vandalized, plagiarism may occur, and some students are very apprehensive about the openness of Web 2.0 technologies (p. 142). The authors’ findings suggest that students are able to undertake more complex projects with a better success rate in virtual worlds than if they conduct similar project in the real world (p. 143). A wiki allows students to collaborate on projects and assignments. Sometimes when collaboration is taking place in a regular classroom setting, some students are left out because they do not take the initiative to participate. They have the tendency to be followers rather than leaders, and may also be timid or shy and do not want to speak up. Wikis can play a very important part in diminishing this problem in the classroom. A case study was done by Raman, Ryan, and Olfman (2005) which used a wiki to support collaborative activities in a knowledge management class at a graduate level information systems and technology school. Twenty students; three female and seventeen male met in class for three hours per week over a sixteen week period. The goal of the study was to enable students to learn about managing the design, development and operation of information technologies through the use of a wiki. Students had the opportunity to link, create, perform mark-up functions, and participate in online forums. This was all the participants’ first attempt at using a wiki. At the end of the class 15 students were interviewed concerning their experience using the wiki. Students stated that they used the technology on a regular basis and the main reason for the use of it was to follow up on content covered in class. Most of the students preferred the collaborative learning through the wiki and only six students preferred face to face contact and discussions. It was gathered through this study that students participated more in collaborative learning on-line that through face to face contact. The initial findings of this study suggest that effective implementation and use of a wiki to support knowledge management for effective teaching and learning is contingent upon familiarity of both students and instructors with the technology, level of planning involved prior to system implementation and use in class, class size, and the ability to motivate students to learn from one another based on the principles of discovery learning (Raman, Ryan, and Olfman, 2009, p. 314). Motivation must play a vital role to ensure students are willing to learn collaboratively. A disadvantage in using a wikis is that a grading system could possibly be set up improperly. Raman, Ryan, and Olfman (2009) suggest that a grading policy that is implemented effectively might be a vital factor in using technology to support discovery learning (p. 320).Lending (2010) argues that to truly understand collaboration, students must learn more than what collaboration is, they must see it work on a task that is meaningful to the student (p. 5). A case study was done to provide freshman students in a Mid-Atlantic University the opportunity to understand what collaboration means and to see it actually work via a wiki. This study was conducted with as few as ten students in a group and with as many as 70 across two sections of a business class. Students were to collaborate in using a wiki to create a study guide for the final exam. In this study the students took on the role of teaching each other course content. The results of this study were very impressive. Students created a 70 page study guide for the final exam. The wiki was used to facilitate discussions about what a particular objective means, which would be on the final exam. Students’ interviews were quite favorable about their wiki study guide. One student felt that the wiki was a very effective study tool and helped them remember what was talked about in class. The wiki allows students to relearn information. One of the disadvantages a student found was that participation in the study guide was somewhat limited and could have been more active if smaller groups were assigned to do some of the questions instead of the entire class doing all of the questions. The authors point out that one of the difficulties of using a wiki in instruction is grading the work. Since the final product is the work of several students, it can be difficult to judge which student wrote what. “For that reason, it is sometimes better to put the emphasis on the creation of the work; rather than on assessing an individual’s quality of work” (Lending, 2010, p. 8).The focus of the study by Mindel and Verma (2006) concentrates on wiki collaboration in teaching and learning contexts. The initial motivation for this investigation was to explore the usefulness of wikis for teaching and learning. This study was driven by the fact that wikis provide a medium in which several individuals could asynchronously work together on an idea and easily capture the essence in a reusable format. (p. 2). Mindel and Verma (2006) implied that collaboration in academic courses with wikis is an experiment worth continuing (p. 27).The authors of this study found the following:“In terms of wiki use, we found that they can be used for a variety of tasks ranging from signup sheet for students to self organize, to analyzing policy positions. We observed that unless strongly guided to do otherwise, students tended to accumulate or aggregate content on wiki pages rather than truly collaborate. It appears that support and facilitation are key to successful use of wikis.” (Mindel and Verma, 2006, p. 27). The authors anticipate wider adoption and experimentation of wikis on school campuses in the future. Prior research has highlighted the value of using wikis to support learning in education. Larusson, Alterman (2009) make the case that the wiki has several properties that are particularly amenable for constructing applications that support the “collaborative” part of a variety and range of different time or different place student collaborations (p. 371). This paper supports this argument using the Wiki Design Platform (WDP). Two case studies are presented, which explore the capability of using wiki-based learning environments to support both tightly and loosely coupled learning activities. The analyses of this study use data collected in a class at a university in which the authors were the instructors. Larusson and Alterman (2009) provide evidence that shows that under both conditions, the students shared a joint focus on important tasks. Also, as teams got larger they were more likely to use the wiki to coordinate and collaborate (p. 398). Critical Thinking Skills A wiki gives students diligent practice with writing skills. Members of a wiki can build and develop meaningful topics. Once a wiki page is created, it persists and can be updated by any member. Kasemvilas and Olfman (2009) state that, “Web 2.0 technologies are having a considerable influence on the learning industry. Constructivist learning processes, such as collaborative writing, have emerged as a result of the development of Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis” (p. 87). This article focuses on how a wiki can fully support group writings. The study is conducted with a graduate level knowledge management class which is assigned to write a wiki book. The main finding of this study reveals that the wiki instance used for this project, MediaWiki, could better facilitate the collaborative writing process with a set of extensions that support discussion and project management. The design for these processes are: 1) a discussion process that changes the way users discuss content on a wiki page and increases group awareness; and 2) a project management process that increases awareness of the status of each component of the writing project and provides an overall summary of the project ( p. 106).Wikis are not only being used in information processing classes, business classes, and academic classes, but are being incorporated into electives such as physical education to support creative learning. Hastie, Casey, and Tarter (2010) investigate the effects of a wiki within a physical education classroom (p. 79). Boys from two classes at a school in the United Kingdom were divided into small teams and given the task of creating a new game. Each team had a wiki on which they recorded all the plans and developments of these games as they were being devised and refined. Also, having access to the wiki was the teacher, the school librarian, and an outside game expert. The wiki allowed for constant interaction between the participants outside class time. Hastie et al. (2010) conducted interviews with the teacher and participants which revealed that the 24/7 classroom enabled an extended community of practice, resulting in a higher quality of learning experience in physical education (p. 90).Pedagogy“Wikis are a component of Web 2.0 technology tools that provide collaborative features and active learning opportunities in a web-based environment” (Hazari, North, and Moreland, 2009, p. 187). This exploratory study investigates the potential of wiki technology as a tool for learning. Hazari et al. (2009) sought to empirically determine the pedagogical value of using wiki technology in university courses. Hypotheses were tested to determine if factors such as age, gender, work experience, and web development experience influence students’ satisfaction with wiki technology. The participants in the study completed a five item questionnaire after using wiki technology. The factors assessed students’ perceptions about the ease of use, user interface, technical issues, and comparison between wikis and the course management tool. Hazari et al. (2009) found that wikis can empower students by giving them a chance to express their views. It can also help students with reading, writing, reflective, and collaborative learning skills (p. 189). Like other studies in this review, the major challenge of using a wiki recognized by Hazari, North, and Moreland was the grading of assignments. The authors found that using a wiki rubric should set clear performance expectations, and include consideration for both the process and product used by team members to develop the final deliverable for the assignment (p. 189). “The study provided insights into formative indicators that can be used to measure pedagogical value of wiki technology so educators can use these factors when designing wikis assignments” (Hazari et al., 2009, p. 194). Even though this study was limited to the business college, the findings can offer insights for any teachers wishing to implement wikis into their classroom.Myers (2009) conducted a study on how to incorporate Web 2.0 tools, including wikis into a photography class. This study was conducted to engage and inspire the learning of art students. The study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Data was gathered from a classroom of students as they learned to implement their art designs on blogs and wikis. One hundred other art instructors were contacted to view the blogs and/or wikis and were encouraged to set up the same type of classroom. Myers (2009) found that embedding Web 2.0 applications into the daily class activities created an environment where students can learn the skills that will be necessary for the jobs of the future (p. 36). In this study Myers found that a wiki is the most effective technology to communicate the daily expectations of his class. Myers (2009) stated, “Times are changing, and we teachers must change with them; I personally find this is an exciting and rewarding time to be an educator” (p. 38). AdaptionIn a qualitative study, Lin and Kelsey (2009) investigate how graduate students communicate, wrote, and collaborated in an open environment; and how students perceived collaborative learning in a networked environment such as wikis. Eighteen participants were enrolled in the same course respectively in the fall of 2006 and 2007. During the fall 2006 semester, five students were required to write five articles using the wiki to present the information. The students were required to individually write two articles, work collaboratively on two articles and edit another student’s article. During the fall 2007 semester, thirteen students were required to write one article individually, one collaboratively, and one either individually or collaboratively. Also, the students participated in interviews and wrote reflective journals. Through this study, Lin and Kelsey (2009) addressed the following questions: 1) Do students feel comfortable editing each others’ wiki articles? 2) Do students learn collaboratively and construct knowledge for the community? 3) What challenges did they experience in a networked environment? Lin and Kelsey (2009) found that “students did not naturally take the opportunity of using wikis to enhance learning when they first started working in a wiki environment” (p. 156). Although the students’ communication and writing changed over the life of the course, the study did not prove that using a wiki is naturally beneficial and contributes to collaborative learning. It is recommended that instructors provide highly supportive learning experiences to teach students how to use wikis and how to work collaboratively when implementing wikis to maximize the benefits of this emerging tool. It has never been more crucial for educators to understand how to adapt new technologies and software into their courses. Currently many teachers are seeking to adapt interactive technologies to provide a collaborative learning process to their students. Wheeler, Yeomans and Wheeler (2008) explore the potential for wiki-type open architecture software to promote and support collaborative learning through the use of student-created content. (p. 987). Wheeler et al (2008) imply that “knowledge creation through user-created content is currently capturing the imagination of students and teachers alike, and one social software tool – the wikis – is developing quickly as a favorite in all sectors of education” (p. 989). In this case study four groups of education students in the authors’ own parent institution have been using open-content generation software for the past year as an integral part of their undergraduate teacher training studies. Students were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Education with Honors primary education program. Ages ranged from 18 to 25 years and each participated in the evaluation voluntarily. Participants were invited to complete a post-module questionnaire via email. Wheeler et al. (2008) recommendations from this study included that students need to develop skills to ensure they are adequately equipped to participate fully in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. These skills include knowing how to evaluate information critically; knowing how to work independently without close supervision and being creative (p. 994). Wikis seem to provide the perfect tool for teachers to extend those skills for the students in their classrooms. AttitudesThe attitudes of the students play a very important role in the success of implementing a wiki into the classroom. If the student is enthusiastic about learning the new technology and understanding the purpose behind incorporating it into the classroom success will take place. Workman (2008) describes the development of a wiki in a Principles of Marketing class. Over the course of the semester students in two sections of the class created over 1,300 articles about the city of Omaha. Quantitative and qualitative assessment data was presented on how the project contributed to student learning (p. 20). Although the students were skeptical during the onset of using a wiki in a Marketing class they soon realized the importance and what they were gaining from the unique experience. Some of the goals that Workman (2008) accomplished through the project were to increase student engagement in class, prepare students to communicate effectively, clearly, and persuasively, and think critically and creatively about information. A fourth goal was to help students understand intellectual property and copyright laws and to have a greater appreciation of ethical issues related to user generated content (p.20). Over 90% of the students agreed that the project helped them understand copyright licensing issues and 97% agreed that the site should continue operating after the semester was over. Seventy percent of the students agreed it was a valuable learning experience. The lowest levels of agreement were related to restricting access only to those on campus (5%) and concerns about privacy (3%). It did not take very long for students to learn how to create and edit content on the wiki and the majority of this work was done from home. Students soon developed the attitude that they believe that wikis can be used in a variety of classes and provide a good basis for class discussion. Some of the greatest challenges in using the wiki were the time and technical expertise to manage the site. The second challenge was that of the instructor in monitoring the student contributions and organizing content on the site. In summary, Workman (2008) stated, “Wikis in the classroom provide a unique opportunity for collaborative learning. While there are challenges in developing and hosting such projects, there are significant opportunities to deepen student engagement in the course material and for helping students appreciate a collaborative approach to learning” (p. 23).Liu (2010) found in his extended study of wiki technology, based on social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behavior, three new variables; wiki self-efficacy, online posting anxiety, and perceived behavioral control were added to the original technology acceptance model (p. 52). Both qualitative and quantitative methods were conducted in this research model. Liu stated “that wiki self-efficiency, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and wiki use intention have direct and indirect significant impact on wiki usage in the classroom” (Liu, 2010, p. 68).Majchrzak (2009) says, “trying innovative technologies not only provides closer connections to the students, but often stimulates ideas for research as well as an appreciation of the challenges faced by users in working with new technologies” (p. 18). Majchrzak’s (2009) research on wikis indicate that many people do not edit others work on a wiki in part because they feel that they would be publicly criticizing the other person, thereby harming their acceptance in the community (p. 18). Majchrzak (2009) argues that as researchers, “we need to push ourselves in understanding what is different about wikis in terms of affordances, functionalities, and behavioral use patterns – compared to existing collaborative technologies, which will help us derive new theories or refine our existing theories” (p. 18). CostWith the economic crisis full force implementing any kind of new technology in a school system can be a monetary risk. Budgets are tight and even though schools want what is best for their students, attempts must take place to assure that best practices are used. Chu (2009) conducted case study investigating the use of wikis in academic libraries over sixty universities in the United States (p. 170). Reasons for using and not using wikis were investigated and costs of using wikis were the major concerns of this study. Data was gathered through telephone and email interviews. The response rate reached 80%. Sixteen used wikis for work, four used wikis in experimental stages, 13 were potential users who planned to use wikis and 15 did not plan to use wikis at all. The author of this study concluded that, “despite the fact that costs are incurred in creating wikis, current users found that the benefits outweigh the costs. It is hoped that this study can provide insights for making informed decisions in applying wikis in academic libraries” (Chu, 2009, p. 176). ConclusionAlthough case studies have brought forward several disadvantages to using wikis in the classroom, it would seem that the positives out weigh the negatives when it comes to implementing wikis for educational purposes. Studies have shown that collaboration in the classroom is one of the most effective and advantageous traits of using wikis in an education setting. Teachers are receptive to learning new technologies, but are asking for support on the best practices they can use in the delivery of the new teaching tools. With the correct implementation and training programs, educators should have no problem becoming familiar with wiki technology. Attitudes toward new technologies appear to be directly related to the teachers’ and students’ willingness to accept them. When students and teachers have a favorable vie of their computer skills they appear to be less apprehensive of technologies, such as wikis. There is substantial evidence that students can cooperate and collaboratively learn through the integration of Web 2.0 technologies in any of their typical subjects. Although adaptation to these new technologies can be difficult and sometimes costly, wikis, among other Web 2.0 technologies have proven to build knowledge, promote critical thinking skills, and inspire students to engage in their own educational process.Future ResearchResearch on new technologies, such as wikis is fairly young. There is not a lot of evidence available to support the growing technology. Most of the research gathered for this literature paper was from universities and higher educational facilities. With the growing number of Web 2.0 technologies available, future research is crucial to determine the best practices for teachers to use these tools in their classrooms. Research of the use of wikis being adapted into high schools and middle schools should be addressed. Questions that could be considered are: 1) Is there a correlation between the amount of professional development and the use of wikis in secondary education? 2) What are students’ perceptions of using wikis in their classrooms? 3) Will using wikis in middle schools and high schools improve student learning and collaboration? 4) Should funding be spent on training of teachers to use wikis in the classroom? The research would be both quantitative and qualitative, and the hypothesis would be: Secondary schools that implement training and support to instructors will see a positive effect on the use of wiki technology in their classroom. Methods for the research would include surveys of the teachers and students in the school system. The surveys would be administered to the teachers before and after professional development workshops. The students would be administered surveys after using wikis technology in the classroom. Open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and reflective journals would also be used in this study. The data collected would be analyzed for both students’ and instructors’ perceptions of implementing and using the wiki technology in the classroom. ReferencesChu,?S.?(2009). Using wikis in academic libraries.?Journal of Academic Librarianship,?35(2),?170-176.? Retrieved June 20, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID:?1684135091).Harris, A., & Rea, A. (2009). Web 2.0 and virtual world technologies: A growing impact on IS education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 137-144. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Hastie, P., Casey, A., & Tarter, A. (2010). A case study of wikis and student-designed games in physical education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 19(1), 79-91. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from ERIC database.Hazari, S., North, A., & Moreland, D. (2009). Investigating pedagogical value of wiki technology. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2), 187-198. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Kasemvilas, S., & Olfman, L. (2009). Design alternatives for a mediawiki to support collaborative writing. Journal of Information, Information Technology & Organizations, (4)87-106. Retrieved June 19, 2010 from Academic Search Complete database.Larusson, J., & Alterman, R. (2009). Wikis to support the "collaborative" part of collaborative learning. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 4(4), 371-402. Retrieved June 19, 2010 from ERIC database.Lending, D. (2010). Teaching tip using a wiki to collaborate on a study guide. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(1), 5-13. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Lin, H., & Kelsey, K. (2009). Building a networked environment in wikis: The evolving phases of collaborative learning in a wikibook project. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 40(2), 145-169. doi:10.2190/EC.40.2.aLiu, X. (2010). Empirical testing of a theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: An exploratory study of educational wikis. Communication Education, 59(1), 52-69. Retrieved July 10, 2010 from ERIC database.Majchrzak, A. (2009). Comment: Where is the theory in wikis? MIS Quarterly, 33(1), 18-20. Retrieved July 10, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Mindel, J., & Verma, S. (2006). Wikis for teaching and learning. Communications of AIS, 2006(18), 2-38. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Myers, E. (2009). Photography education in a web 2.0 classroom. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 36-39. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from Academic Search Complete database.Raman, M., Ryan, T., & Olfman, L. (2005). Designing knowledge management systems for teaching and learning with wiki technology. Journal of Information Systems Education, 16(3), 311-320. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from Business Source Complete database.Wheeler, S., Yeomans, P., & Wheeler, D. (2008). The good, the bad and the wiki: Evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(6), 987-995. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from Research Library. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00799.x.Workman, J. (2008). Wikis in the classroom: Opportunities and challenges. Marketing Education Review, 18(1), 19-24. Retrieved July 10, 2010 from Business Source Complete database. ................
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