Wikis: More Than Text and Context

Dr. Karen Swenson, Associate Professor, Virginia TechAmber D. Evans-Marcu, Ph.D. Candidate, Virginia Tech

M. Aaron Bond, Coordinator for eLearning Faculty Development andSupport Services, Virginia Tech

Topics

• Designing the Course• What are Wikis?• VT SciFi Wiki• Student Survey Data• Using Wikis – Your turn!• Questions & Answers

2

Designing the Course

Designing the Course

• Context: Face-to-Face / Hybrid / Online

• Audience, Content, and Context• Who are you instructing?• What are you teaching?• Where & How are

students learning?

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Designing the Course

• Paradigms and Pedagogy• Behavorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism!• Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergr

aduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)• Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide t

o Managing Knowledge - Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002)

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English 1654: Introduction to Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Online• 80 Students• 15 weeks

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English 1654: Introduction to Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Students think about important issues presented through works of speculative fiction –• definitions of good/evil,• self and alien, • science and nature, • human and machine, • human and monster, • exploitation and

collaboration.

• Students:• Consider definitions of

human experience and potential,

• Demonstrate knowledge through weekly quizzes.

Students share ideas in a discussion forum & a speculative fiction wiki.

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Learning Objectives and Course Goals (Platonic)

Through collaborative work, we will• reconsider traditional concepts of "author" and

of "self,"• suggest collaborative means of living with others,• learn to work together to create a better world,• encourage a sense of community,• encourage an awareness of others’ contributions,• become more accustomed to considering

ourselves within a context.

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What are Wikis?Amber D. Evans

What are Wikis?

It is a powerful yet flexible collaborative communication tool for developing content-specific Web sites.

• A wiki is a Web page that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a Web browser and access to the Internet.

• Popular Wikis include• Wikipedia, Wikibooks, Wikihow, LMS Wikis

• Many “flavors” of wikis available:• Which Wiki is Right for You? (A matrix)

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How does it Work?

View & Edit changes while retaining the previous copy.

• Wikis use• computer scripting (programming)• text files• Web browser• Internet connection

• Edit a page• Sends a request to the server for the wiki page text.

• Save a page• Sends the revised text to the server and saves “an old copy” as a

previous revision.

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Why are Wikis Significant?

A content-focused approach makes it easy to collaborate and then export it to different formats.

• Access the current document anytime online.• Add new pages or change existing pages.• No HTML or coding is required.• Compare previous versions.• Identify who contributed content.• Export the wiki page to Microsoft Word or PDF.

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When to use Wikis

• Features:• Easy online editing by users.• Revision history.• Notification of changes.• Export options (MS Word, HTML, PDF, etc.)

• Uses:• To capture and record process and procedures.• Meeting minutes that anyone can add to.• Brainstorming

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How can Wikis be Used in Teaching and Learning?

Wikis are reflexive & adaptive, growing with use.

• Easiest and most effective collaboration tool.• Versioning shows• Evolution of thought & contents• Authorship & ownership

• Can be used to • Create ePortfolios, • Collaborate on (research) projects, • Edit articles or textbooks,• Recording process and procedures,

• Do anything you can imagine!

Some Challenges of Wikis

Wikis open windows to collaboration, but sometimes flies get in.

• Wikis may require monitoring.• May need to gain authorization to edit a wiki.• Learning curve (new toolbars, new tools)• Lack of some features (i.e., Word Count)• Content-focused not cosmetic.• Hierarchy doesn’t exist (like a concept map)• Collective group bias.• Remembering to use it!

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The SciFi Wiki

Dr. Karen Swenson

“Student writing has meaning, power, and significance in this course.

Students are shaping both their own words and the words of others in order to create a web of interconnected writings.”

“Wiki Aliveness”1. Design for evolution.2. Open a dialogue between inside and outside

perspectives.3. Invite different levels of participation.4. Develop both public and private community spaces.5. Focus on value.6. Combine familiarity and excitement.7. Create a rhythm for the community.

Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html

A Wiki will allow us to:• interact with each other in a useful and

interesting way,• share our knowledge and expertise with

others,• experience a new form of writing and a

new definition of “authorship” made possible by technology,

• participate in a collaborative enterprise.• learn from each other, and• have fun together!

Wiki Pages – Creating Infrastructure

Wiki Pages – Hypertext Essays, Images, Words

Wiki Pages – History of Collaboration

Wiki Development

The success of this course wiki led to the creation of a community wiki – the Virginia Tech Speculative Fiction wiki, around which is growing a community of practice beyond the boundaries of the semester.

“Play Well and Prosper”

Student Survey DataAmber D. Evans

Demographics

Male52%

Female48%

Gender

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A A- B+ B B- C+ C

C- or lo

wer

Don't know

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18%

28%

What is your gradepoint average?

Demographics

Humanities2%

Physical sciences, Math2%

Fine Arts3%

Education5%

Social Sciences7%

Business14%

Life Biological Sciences (+ Agriculture, Health

sciences)16%

Engineer-ing

28%

Other18%

Undecided5%

What are you majoring in?

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Prior to this course how often did you contribute content to Wikis (Wikipedia, course wiki, etc.) for school, work, or recreation?

Never64%

Once per year7%

Once per quarter or semester

6%

Monthly2%

Weekly14%

Several times per week5%

no answer2%

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12th Sakai Conference – Los Angeles, California – June 14-16 27

Computer Ownership

0%

40%

80%

120%

40%

73%88% 96%

Percentage of students who …

What is your opinion about the following statement: I get more actively involved in courses that use information technology?

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

No answer4%

10%

42% 40%

3% 1%

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What is your opinion about the following statement: The use of IT in my courses improves my learning.

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

No answer1%

6%

51%

40%

2% 0%

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What is your opinion about the following statement: IT makes doing my course activities more convenient?

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

No answer0% 2%

14%

56%

28%

0%

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Which of the following best describes you?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

30%

45% I love new technologies and am among the first to experiment with and use them.

I like new technologies and use them before most people I know.

I usually use new technologies when most people I know do.

I am usually one of the last people I know to use new tech-nologies.

I am skeptical of new tech-nologies and use them only when I have to.

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I learn best through: (choose all that apply)

86%

68%

54%

53%

EngagingCourse Content

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Interaction with the Instructor

Peer Collaboration

Use of Instructional technology

I like to learn through contributing towebsites, blogs, wikis, etc.

Yes55%

No44%

No answer1%

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Closing Comments from Students

“Class was really great. Professor Swenson made Science Fiction fun and relevant for me and turned me into a reader.”

“Great class, enjoyable and fun thanks for a great year!”

“Professor Swenson is the best!”

“Class structure was awesome. Great mix of tests, forums, wikis, and final project. Class was one of the most fun I've taken … Swenson is a great teacher though, and her assistant Yakima was VERY helpful. This course covered more material than any class I've ever taken, but ran more smoothly than most. Overall a positive experience.”

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Join VTSF Worlds – a Speculative Fiction Community!

After this session• http://learn.vt.edu/• Username: Your email

address• Check your email for the

password• Look in junk/spam folder

• Contact VT 4Help for assistance.

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Thank You

Collaborative work allows us to:• reconsider traditional concepts

of "author" and of "self,” • suggest collaborative means of

living with others, • learn to work together to create

a better world,• encourage a sense of community, • encourage an awareness of the

contributions of others,• become more accustomed to

considering ourselves within a context.

Karen Swenson• karens@vt.edu• Associate Professor of English• Virginia Tech• Blacksburg, VA 24061

Amber D. Evans• adevans@vt.edu• IDT Ph. D. Candidate• Virginia Tech• Blacksburg, VA 24061

M. Aaron Bond• mabond@vt.edu• Virginia Tech• Blacksburg, VA 24061

Sakai Conference 2011 - Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. 37

Program & Concentra InformationCentra Link: https://www.concentra-cms.com/program/Sakai/2011-sakai-conference/463.html

Session Wiki Page: https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/BY2CB

Title: Wikis: More than Text and ContextSession: Conference Track Session (60 minutes)Date: 06/15/2011Time: 3:45 PM - 4:45 PMRoom: San Gabriel BPresenter(s): • Karen Swenson (Virginia Tech)

karens@vt.edu • Amber D. Evans-Marcu (Virginia Tech)

adevans@vt.edu, 530-426-2372• M. Aaron Bond (Virginia Tech)

mabond@vt.edu

Overview:Dr. Karen Swenson, a 2010 Teaching With Sakai Innovation Award finalist, uses the Sakai wiki with her students to “think about important issues presented through works of speculative fiction," but has found there is even more to her students than the wiki reveals. Although the course goals include collaborative work to "reconsider traditional concepts of 'author' and 'self,' working together to build a better world, encourage a sense of community, and become aware of others contributions" her recent collected data provides insight as to "who" are these students in her Sakai Wiki community. Come to this session to see the paradigms that underlie the structure of the course, what the students do with the Wiki in class and after the semester ends, and who these students are (including demographics, previous wiki contributions, and perceptions of self, information technology, and active involvement in their learning process).