Sharing ideas - developing wikis (primary)/Resource

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Sharing ideas: developing wikis

Course information

File:V01 150 rgb.jpg

You will need access to

  • a computer with a web browser
  • a class/group of pupils – groups could be within classes, whole classes, or groups across classes (e.g. clubs) and schools (e.g. clusters of schools or in collaborative projects).

Duration of the course: Vital recommends taking 20 hours over 8 weeks with:

  • Online total - 13 hours
    • individual - 9 hours (e.g. reading, doing quiz, editing personal wiki)
    • collaborative - 4 hours (e.g. forum discussion, editing communal wiki).
  • Offline total - 7 hours
    • face-to-face - none
    • workplace - 5 hours (setting up and using wiki with pupils)
    • independent study - 2 hours (supplementary reading, reflection and documenting evidence for future accreditation).

Professional and reflective practitioner skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to

  • incorporate the use of a wiki with learners in their school and subject contexts as appropriate
  • reflect on, and discuss, the impact of the use of a wiki on learning.

Practical skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to

  • edit a wiki page
  • select a wiki tool appropriate for intended use
  • set up a wiki
  • incorporate text and other media on a wiki page
  • manage users (authors, reviewers etc) of a wiki.

Knowledge and understanding

At the completion of this course, you should be able to demonstrate

  • that you know what a wiki is
  • that you know what wikis may be used for in education
  • an understanding of the issues involved in using wikis in the classroom.

Cognitive skills

At the completion of this course, you should be able to

  • critically review the use of wikis in educational contexts and share these reviews with others
  • discuss different ways in which wikis might be used in learning contexts in schools.

Table 1 Course activities

Week Activities Type Duration
1 Activity 1 Getting to know others on the course Online 1 hour
Activity 2 So what is a wiki? Online 30 minutes
1–2 Activity 3 Wikis and e-safety Online 1 hour
Activity 4 Field trip Online 2 hours
Activity 5 Finding other examples of wikis Online 1 hour
Activity 6 What others have said about wikis Offline 1 hour
Activity 7 Planning to use wikis in your teaching and learning 1 hour online, 1 hour offline 2 hours
3 Activity 8 Selecting a wiki tool Online 2 hours
4–7 Activity 9 Using the wiki Classroom 5 hours
8 Activity 10 Reporting back Online 2 hours
Activity 11 TDA Professional Standards Online 1 hour
Activity 12 Extracting our shared learning Online 1 hour
Activity 13 Course evaluation Online 30 minutes
Total 20 hours

This is a course of eight weeks duration with 20 learning hours expected during that time.

We will begin by looking at existing wikis with an emphasis on those used in educational contexts; these range from generic websites like Wikipedia to those created and used by teachers for specific learning purposes in their classrooms and with their learners.

You will discuss the issues that this raises in terms of e-safety and learning and teaching.

The course will provide guidance on creating and using wikis and you will set up your own and trial it with some of your pupils.

You will either use a wiki on your school’s learning platform or, if this is not available to you, we will explain how to sign up to use one of the free online wiki services.

Throughout the course, and especially after you have used your wiki with your pupils, you will share your experiences with other participants.

The reflective cycle

Vital courses are based on a cycle of professional reflective practice as shown in the diagram below.

VitalReflectivePractice.png

This cycle draws on, and develops, personal and professional knowledge bases. The latter may be seen in the literature, resources, policies and other materials that are used to inform practice.

Throughout the course small icons will indicate the stage of the cycle being addressed.

NB Prof/Pers KB = Professional/Personal knowledge base

What is a wiki?

Learners often need space to share ideas and/or resources, or write together. This course looks at the use of a ‘wiki’ (a website which can be added to and edited by any number of people) for these purposes.

So what is a wiki? A wiki is a website for sharing and developing ideas, materials, plans etc. Any page of the website can be changed by anyone (sometimes usernames and passwords are needed, sometimes edits can be anonymous). Only one person can edit any one page at one time but as soon as they have finished and saved, anyone else can then edit it.

Activity 2 So what is a wiki?

30 minutes the first week of the course (online)

The objective of this course activity is to develop your understanding of what a wiki is.

Watch this video from Commoncraft for a brief introduction.

Wikis in plain English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

If the video does not appear then there may be firewall/filtering issues. The video is less than five minutes long and you are advised to watch it on a machine that is not filtered if possible, or read the alternative description linked below.

For an alternative description of a wiki please see this resource (Becta 2010). http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110113101521/http:/nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/At-School/Technology/Wikis/ (FOR TEXT), video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=np9DN7Dq8mY

Thinking about the features of a wiki shown in the video, note down any first ideas of how you could use a wiki in your teaching.

E-safety is an issue to be considered whenever young people use the Internet. In this part of the course you will think about how a wiki can be used safely and ethically. This is particularly important given that anyone can edit any page on a wiki - but only if they have been given permission.

Activity 3 Wikis and e-safety

1 hour (online/private study) during weeks one and two of the course

The objective of this course activity is to begin to understand some of the issues and options you have to ensure a safe use of a wiki.

Go to this resource on e-safety.

What would you do as a teacher to enhance the safe use of wikis?

Note down your answers and then look at the discussion that follows.

Exploring wikis

Wikis are gaining popularity with teachers who recognise its power as a creative and collaborative tool. Teachers are exploring ways of integrating them into their teaching and learning. Some are sharing examples of pupil work, others are encouraging pupils to contribute to a class wiki.

Wikis are already being used extensively in education, though often for reading rather than writing. Wikipedia is often used as a source of information, for example, and has a specific schools section organised by the subjects of the National Curriculum.

Activity 4 gives you a chance to explore some examples of how teachers and school advisers are using wikis.  However, as pointed out in the e-safety section, teachers may decide to hide from view what their classes are doing so the best uses may well be hidden!

Activity 4 Field trip

1 hour (online) during weeks one and two of the course for each part of the activity (2 hours total)

The objectives of this course activity are to

  • look at some existing wikis that are used for learning and teaching
  • share thoughts about how they are being used.

4.1 Looking at existing wikis Table 2 shows several examples of the use of wikis in primary schools. Go to the examples by clicking on the links. Reflect on how they are being used to enhance learning and teaching and on the way in which they are presented and structured.

Table 2

Table 2

Key stage Curriculum What's this wiki about?
1 Maths 'Primary Math' has been set up to enable students in Canada to share their maths learning with classes around the world. Students have uploaded images of patterns, numbers and shapes etc
2 English 'Terry the Tennis Ball' is a collaborative story developed by students at a primary school in Australia.
2 Science 'Sound and Light', a wiki by students, for students, based in the UK. There are examples of student work using a range of media from photos through to audio and video files.
1-2 English 'And to think I saw it on my way to school' is a wiki developed by a cluster of schools in America inspired by a Dr Seuss book. There are examples of student work using a range of publishing tools.

[Reminder . Have you read and responded to introductions posted at the beginning of the course?]

4.2 Discussing with others. Look at one or two of the examples above and reflect on how each of these have been set up and how they might be used. Discuss these with your colleagues. Think about opportunities for collaboration (with colleagues, and amongst students), showcasing curriculum content, and activities students could carry out on the wiki.

Teacher Voice

“The tasks are challenge-based learning; the pupils are given experiments to do and they've got to decide how to record them and then post them to the wiki. Some of them make PowerPoints and put them into SlideShare so they can be viewed on the web. Some of them record on audio, some of them record on video." It helps, he says, to motivate children who are daunted by the idea of writing a whole report. John Johnston, class teacher, Sandaig Primary School (2008).

This extract was taken from Primary Pioneers.

Thinking about structure

Wikis, like any other website can have different structures to suit different contexts. These range from a single web page to a series of linked web pages both of which can be edited by individuals or groups of people.

The structure of any wiki used in a learning context may well be derived from the way in which learning is structured in classrooms with groups and tasks represented by different wiki pages. On the other hand the use of a wiki allows for learning and sharing to go on over time, not constrained by ‘the lesson or session’, and to go on over space not constrained by the physical buildings.

The structure of any wiki used in a learning context may well be derived from the way in which learning is structured in classrooms – using groups and tasks to be represented on pages for example. On the other hand the use of a wiki allows for learning and sharing to go on over time, not constrained by ‘the lesson or session’, and to go on over space not strained by the physical buildings.

VitalHierarchicalWiki.png Figure 1 Hierarchical, with a main menu page, all can edit any page. Pages maybe organised by activity, topic etc.

VitalMatrixWiki.png Figure 2 Matrix, all pages link to each other, anyone can edit all pages. Maybe one page per activity, topic etc.

VitalGroupsWiki.png Figure 3 Groups, with a menu page, only those in the group can edit the group’s pages

VitalGroupsPlusWiki.png Figure 4 Groups, with a menu page, only those in the group can edit the group’s pages. Individual pupils in their groups have their own pages, with perhaps some where only a single pupil can edit.

By looking at other examples of wikis and seeing what other people are doing and thinking about how to use wikis, you will be able to generate ideas about how you might structure and use a wiki to suit your own context.


Activity 5 Finding other examples of wikis

The objective of this course activity is to look for ideas for the use of wikis in learning and teaching that match your interest and area of expertise.

The Vital wiki contains a growing number of examples and mini-case studies showing how other people have used wikis in their teaching. Go to the Vital wiki and look for one or two case studies that match your own interests and area of expertise.

You can use these examples to generate ideas help you with planning your own use of wikis in the classroom.

If you cannot find anything there you may need to search for examples using an Internet search or ask for guidance in the course forum.

If you know of other examples please add them to the index page.

In this part of the course you will think about the ways in which a wiki might be used for learning and teaching in your context and share your plans with others. You will also be guided to a range of software tools to help create a wiki and select the most suitable tool for your teaching and learning purposes.

Activity 6 What others have said about wikis

The objective of this course activity is to understand some of the theoretical and research-informed models behind the use of wikis in teaching and learning.

Read the following articles and highlight any key points that appear pertinent to your context. You will use these points in your planning in the next activity.

Activity 7 Planning to use wikis in your teaching and learning

The objective of this course activity is to produce a plan for the use of wikis in your classroom.

You will need to download the planning sheet - available from our wiki File:Planning sheet.doc

How might you use a wiki in your own teaching? What would you be intending to do and with which classes or groups of learners? Go to the course forum and discuss this with other participants.

Having discussed this with others, complete a planning sheet for your own use.

The planning sheet is to help guide your thoughts on how you might use a wiki in your own teaching. It prompts you to consider:

  • the context of the use of the wiki – which class, level, topic, how long etc.
  • the purpose of using the wiki – what are the learners using this technology for (share ideas, joint planning, share presentations, add to and share collated resources etc.) – you may find the five-stage model of Wheeler (2008) useful here
  • [Reminder. Have you discussed the use of wikis in activity 4? ] the pedagogical issues raised by Fountain (2005) and Engström and Jewett (2005) when considering the use of wikis in the classroom
  • the learning gains or learning intentions (Curriculum Corporation, Australia)
  • what impact you expect the use of a wiki to have (e.g. greater motivation, more collaboration, greater understanding of a topic etc.).

Once you have completed the planning sheet you should post it in the forum for others to help refine your ideas.

Activity 8 Selecting a wiki tool

2 hours (online) during week three of the course

The objective of this course activity is to identify a tool for your use of a wiki in a school.

Firstly you need to find out if you can use a wiki tool as part of your school learning platform. If this isn't possible, the TeachersFirst website provides a list of wiki tools for educators and guidance on their use.

For a very simple 'first taste' of using a wiki with other people, you could try Webnote. 

No passwords are required and it is easy to start a single page wiki by typing a name for your wiki in the field 'Create or Load a Workspace'.

Having planned the way in which you will use the wiki in your classroom you now need to carry out your plan. In this part of the course you will spend time in your school and reflect on the impact of the use of a wiki on the learning and teaching. At a practical level you will observe what the learners did with the wiki and what conclusions and recommendations you would make for others. You will discuss this in the forum after you have carried out your plan.

Activity 9 Using the wiki

Up to 5 hours in the classroom during weeks four to seven of the course. This will be carried out in school. You will be reporting back in three weeks.

The objective for this course activity is to use wiki with learners and reflect on what happens.

You should now carry out your plan and use the wiki with the group or groups you identified. As you do so you should be minded of your purpose and intended gains and the evidence you intend to collect.

No passwords are required and it is easy to start a single page wiki by typing a name for your wiki in the field 'Create or Load a Workspace'.

It is a good idea to maintain a learning journal to help you record observations and reflections systematically. Mark Smith gives advice on how to do this in his article on writing and keeping journals. This can be done online using your personal blog in your shared activities or other tools. Alternatively, simply use a notebook where you can collect observations down one side of a double page and your reflections on the other.

Having planned what you were to do with a wiki, and then carried this out with learners, this is the final section of the course. You will report back your reflections of what you learnt by using wikis in the classroom. This reporting back will be done to others on the course with whom you should also share feedback on experiences.

Activity 10 Reporting back

2 hours online, during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

[Reminder. Did you post and receive feedback on your and others’ plans in activity 7? ]

The objective of this course activity is to share reflections and feedback with others.

You will now reflect on, and discuss, the impact of the use of a wiki on learning. In your planning you identified some purposes and pedagogical aims.

To what extent were those gains achieved? How do you know? What evidence can you provide? Go to the forum to discuss these questions.

See the discussion button for some key questions to help you evaluate.

Professional Standards

The use of wikis in learning and teaching will provide you with evidence that may be useful when considering the Professional Standards for teaching. You will have collected evidence from planning through to your notes and evaluation to discussion in the forum. Such evidence may be useful to you when demonstrating ways in which you have met the Standards.

Activity 11 TDA Professional Standards

1 hour online during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The objective of doing this course activity is to reflect on what you have done in relation to the TDA Standards.

Depending on the stage of your career, different Standards may be relevant. Consider which ones are most pertinent to your role and note them here.

The reflective practitioner cycle is based on developing the professional knowledge base. We have now come to the end of the personal reflection phase and are to develop a common understanding of what we have learnt. We will share the key learning points as a group so that these may be collated and added to the community knowledge.

References

Videos

Other references

Wikis

Acknowledgements

Engstrom, M. and Jewett, D. (2005), ‘Collaborative Learning the Wiki Way’, Tech Trends, volume 49, issue 6, pp. 12-15, courtesy of AECT.

'The GlobalDover wiki project', Amanda Monk Peak, Dover Grammar School for Boys, from 'Making hard topics in English easier with ICT', © NATE, 2008 (find project at www.nate.org.uk/htt)

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