Using Wikis and Blogs.
Miranda Pratt & Brian Rood

WIKIs:  Lots of instructional information available on how to set it up and trouble-shoot.  Very Simple!

Google “wiki” and you’ll see tons of YouTube and other help info.

Two custom-made screencasts from Bridget Trogden for pbworks wikis:

Part 1: Intro to the Wiki and How to View and Find Information

http://screencast.com/t/SSjQy8nkqfiZ

Part 2: Adding Ideas (Comments, Folders, Files, Pages)

http://screencast.com/t/3PuOtvmlyQs

(Each video is 4-5 minutes in duration)

Only hard part is remembering to hit “Save” or “Save and Continue” after editing!

Ways to use wikis in classes:

1)  Course Development:  Collaborate with other faculty in course development.  Everyone teaching the same course could have a wiki where they post materials (and discuss)

a) Developing/ensuring consistency in course objectives

b) Sharing materials, including what worked and what didn’t

c) Discussing/development of teaching ideas

d) INT 101 Wiki can be found at      http://mercerint101.pbworks.com

2) Class Wiki for class instead of Blackboard

http://testsandmeasurement2011.pbworks.com/w/page/34709131/FrontPage

a) Can post syllabus, other materials (PowerPoints, data files, pdf files, links, assignments, grading rubrics, etc. ) for students.  Careful about posting copyrighted material.

b) Students can use the wiki to facilitate group work (edit/view options to create documents, prof can track individual student contributions and edits).  Reduces the need for face-to-face meetings

c) Students and faculty can use the comment feature to discuss/post questions that instructors can reply to and all students can see answer.

d) Can also be used when working with individual students to develop/revise project – can post reference materials (or links to materials), drafts of manuscripts, comments/questions without having to clog up e-mail

3) Assignment for students to create/edit a discipline-specific section of wikipedia (see APS initiative)

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/members/aps-wikipedia-initiative

“Such work can teach students:

• that even the simplest ideas are hard to communicate to general audiences
• the importance of logic, strength of argument, flow and clarity of writing, and citations of the appropriate literature
• the significance of accuracy in scientific writing”

From APS initiative:

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/members/aps-wikipedia-initiative

“APS is calling on its Members to support the Association’s mission to deploy the power of Wikipedia to represent scientific psychology as fully and as accurately as possible and thereby to promote the free teaching of psychology worldwide.

The broad goals of the APS Wikipedia Initiative (APSWI) are:

• Ensure that articles about psychological research and theory are accurate, up-to-date, complete and written in a style appropriate for the general public
• Ensure that articles are based on independent reliable secondary sources
• To represent scientific controversies and scientific consensus fairly, writing articles in a neutral style
• Improve and review articles to Good Article and Featured Article quality
• Assess psychology-related articles and tag them appropriately when there are problems

All APS Members are encouraged to participate by adding new entries and enhancing existing ones with more complete and accurate information with references. This is an especially exciting initiative for teachers and students who can make updating or creating Wikipedia entries part of coursework.

Such work can teach students:

• that even the simplest ideas are hard to communicate to general audiences
• the importance of logic, strength of argument, flow and clarity of writing, and citations of the appropriate literature
• the significance of accuracy in scientific writing”