Wikis
"Wiki" stands for "quick", in Hawaiian, and is the term most commonly used to describe a kind of web site which can be directly edited by any user, without special software. The Wiki has gained prominence as a collaboration and information building tool, since it allows people to easily contribute and edit information in a body of work. The most well-known wiki is Wikipedia, the free content encyclopedia which currently holds 500,000 articles, and a number of open-source and commercial software applications help web site authors set up and maintain a wiki.
Use of Wikis is growing in higher education. The links below give a sample of the growing presence of Wikis in education:
| LearnBiz Wiki used in a graduate course by Allison Rossett, Professor of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. |
| Use Wiki to simulate a conference Simulate an academic conference online, with students presenting papers, offering and reviewing feedback, and networking with each other. |
| WikiSchool A growing list of ideas for Wiki use in the classroom |
| ITDE Wiki Wiki hosted by the Instructional Technology and Distance Education unit, Virginia Community College System. |
| The WeblogProject Group creating a film about blogging, and using a wiki to build community around the project |
| LitMuse Wiki used by literature courses at Macon State University |
| My Brilliant Failure: Wikis in Classrooms An educator's recount of her experience using a wiki, and advice for using a wiki in your classroom. |
| Aiming for communal constructivism in a wiki environment An educator's process assessment of how wikis can build and sustain community in learning. |
| Spreading Knowledge, the Wiki Way (Washington Post) Washington Post article on the ability of wikis to build and spread knowledge. |
| Blogs & Wikis: Technologies for Enterprise Applications Article about the potential for widespread use of wikis. |
| Wikipedia The free-content encyclopedia that anyone can edit. |
