Justification+for+use


 * WEAKNESSES **

Some students may be resistant to edit other student’s work - requirement to build culture (e.g. teacher create content, invite students to edit) Potential to lose control of authorship Potential lack of collaborative atmosphere // Possible access problems // (network issues, etc.) As externally hosted have less control Potentially open to public hacking, viewing, editing Potential // vandalism // from members Some teachers may be resistant to change Potential // aggravation during simultaneous edit // // Some wikis are not intuitive to use // Not on intranet so security/privacy can be an issue Will require IT experience onsite if want to arrange own hosting

** STRENGTHS... **

// Teacher related: //

Small learning curve – //simple//, intuitive interface Sign up easy Online in minutes Can create accounts with/without email addresses Help and //support available// ‘How to’ videos available
 * Setup **

Easy to manage Central administration // Detailed page permissions and settings // Can restrict viewing – //private or public// Can be SSL encrypted, supported by redundant systems Can restrict editing – //protected or unprotected// // Allows creation of teams or projects // Administrator can lock/unlock members editing privileges Administrator can hide pages Administrator can disable messaging Each member’s //history is traceable// providing accountability //Can revert/roll back changes// – all previous versions are viewable and reloadable
 * Levels of control (to avert potential negatives) **

Experts can use wiki mark-up if desired Can create templates for easy replication //Can integrate// with Moodle, Google apps and authentication software Option to be notified via email or RSS feed when changes are made Media and widgets widely available for customisations
 * Extra features **

//Free// for educational institutions Unlimited pages Low bandwidth No concerns about hosting No need to worry about storage No need to back up – stable and reliable (offsite encrypted backups) No need to worry about software updates Polished interface Accessible from anywhere
 * Additional benefits **

//Teacher - colleague// communication (plan events, curriculum, etc.) //Collaborative// individual/group work Great for distance education Complement face to face Upload material for students that are absent or for revision Upload extension material //Cross curriculum links// with ICT, design and digital media Illustrates the importance of clear writing (e.g. easy to follow & logical sequence) Can create individual portfolios to showcase students work Students likely to take //ownership// (for their peers not the teacher) Students also likely to respect others work Can //assess performance as progresses// Flag parts of work that need work (can encourage peer review) Can be edited live Simultaneous edit (notification given to users) See which students have made contributions Allows for online discussion in addition to publishing content (kept separate for clarity) Generate //body of information// from smaller parts Freedom to expand content as knowledge increases Allows continuity options (e.g. cohort can update following year) Option to have peer/mentor/guest authoring on students work Option to share with real world audience Digital expression of social constructivism
 * Uses for the classroom **

// Student related: //

Simple to create WYSIWYG intuitive to use (allows edit by non technical users) //Easy// to participate immediately Easy to add pages, content, links, edit Content live in seconds Ease of collaboration – great for group/team work Enable //multiple creativities// (i.e. layout, text, visual aids, interactivity etc.) Enable presentation of own understandings Presentation via various methods – text, audio, video, etc Continuously editable/updateable – removes expectation of //perfection// Student empowerment (decides how looks etc.) Ever developing mind map //Authentic// materials (i.e. online, digital content, familiar, interesting, utilises technology, relevant medium) Allows embedding of hyperlinks etc (no transfer of large files) Lasting


 * REFERENCES: **

[] [] http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis [] [] [] []