Wikis

Introduction

In short, a wiki is an editable webpage. A wiki creates an online meeting place where students, each responsible for creating knowledge, can build on their peers’ understanding to develop a broader awareness of the content (Engstrom & Jewett, 2005). Wikis can be accessed from anywhere, as long as there is access to a computer with web browser and Internet. Often we provide students with homework related to physical education, and having students use a wiki for their assignments and projects encourages communication, literacy, and technology skills, and additionally contributes to the creation of positive relationships between students (Schwartz, Clark, Cossarin, & Rudolph, 2004). Ward Cunningham, the creator of the original wiki, called it “the simplest online database that could possibly work” (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001, p.15). The word wiki was legitimized after Cunningham visited the Honolulu airport where shuttle busses are called “wiki wiki,” which means “quick” in Hawaiian (Long, 2006).

Wikis or Blogs?

Wikis in Education

• Wikis are easy and quick to set up.
• Wikis do not require any complicated computer language or codes.
• Wikis can be created for free!
• Wikis hold a variety of security features that make them effective to use with students.
• When using a wiki, students can be authors and editors.
• The pages of a wiki can be viewed by all students at all times.
• It is possible to incorporate music, files, pictures, slideshows, and other creative tools right into the wiki.
• Adding or editing content on a wiki happens in 3 easy steps: click edit, type/edit, and click save.
• The ease of using a wiki provides an excellent opportunity to use wikis with even the youngest students.

Wikis in Physical Education

Wikis can be used in many different ways. The following are just a few examples:

• A collaborative writing project: a few students can be assigned to a topic (for example, games around the world), and they can work in groups to create a page on the games that are used in a particular country.
• Online portfolios (Wiki folios): each student may have a page, folder, or an entire wiki to show the work they have completed in class.
• PE websites: teachers can provide information to the students and parents about the PE class. Once the wiki is created, students can be added as writers, and homework can be completed on various pages. Wikis come with timestamps and histories, so you will always know who wrote what and when.
• Online PE classes would benefit from using a wiki to engage students in collaborative writing tasks.
• PE dictionary/encyclopedia: very popular with younger students! Build this one as you go using text, pictures, and videos to illustrate different concepts, skills, and knowledge regarding physical education.
• A departmental/district/school division resource or collaborative PE website to encourage sharing, collaboration, and communication among teachers.
• Presenting at a workshop/conference? Add your notes and files on a wiki and distribute cards with a URL for people to access, or email the URL to the participants in advance.

How to use a wiki

There are many different wiki programs on the web: PBWorks, Wetpaint Wiki, Wikispaces, Google Sites, etc.

The Basics

• Wikis have two states: read and edit. In default, wikis are in read state and will look like a normal webpage. When the user wants to edit the webpage, they must access the wiki in edit mode.
• Some wikis are open and free to edit, while others require you to sign up (for free) and create a password.
• In the edit mode, writing on a wiki page is just like writing in a normal word processor. There is a toolbar you can use to format the writing; insert tables, pictures and files; and lots of other features.
• What you write in the edit mode, you will see in the read mode. A ‘What You See Is What You Get’ (WYSIWYG) editor allows this process to occur (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001).
• Each wiki page has a ‘history tab.’ When people write or edit the wiki, you can locate all the versions of the wiki text, from the newest to the oldest version. Using the revision history feature, you can view the changes made to any version and restore to a previous version if required.
• You can insert tables, files, pictures, power point slides, calendars, and even videos right into the wiki.
• There are many more features to a wiki. Depending on your use, an interactive user guide can help you along the way.

PBWorks

www.pbworks.com

Google Sites

www.sites.google.com

10 tips for teachers using a wiki for the first time in class

Please note that these tips are generated from my own personal experience. I have a physical education background, not a computer science background, but in general I like to experiment with technology and feel comfortable making mistakes.

1. Start small! Do not think about creating a comprehensive website with many features. Think about building a wiki from the ground up with your students. As you become more comfortable using a wiki, you can integrate the wiki more fully in your classes. It never stops growing.
2. Be patient! Not everyone is comfortable using computers, so outline everything you want your students to do, step by step, so they can follow along at their own learning pace. Also, be patient with yourself, and take your time learning how to wiki together with your students. Often students teach me things on the wiki I have yet to learn, and they had just gotten started with it!
3. Have fun! Teach students how to use the wiki in a fun way: create scavenger hunts on the wiki where students must do certain tasks to find a surprise, learn to wiki, and show the teacher that they can use the basic functions of a wiki.
4. Create a Wiki Guide! At the front page, include detailed instructions on how to use the wiki, and add links to a “quick wiki guide” where students can go to learn more about how to use a wiki. From my experience, I suggest teaching students the basic functions such as editing and formatting, and they will look for other ways to get creative if they want to.
5. Encourage! Once students add content to the wiki, encourage their participation by adding positive comments to their wiki page.
6. Model! When creating assignments where students edit each others’ work, model making edits, explain the difference between small edits (spelling/grammar) and large edits (sentence structure, adding content), and help create an environment where students can trust each other with this process. Teach students that a wiki is a collaborative website and everyone must work together to enhance it. This process will take time, but be patient and it will be worth your time.
7. Be specific! For every assignment, create a set of clear directions, templates, and/or rubrics. Students should know exactly what is expected of them.
8. Use templates! Wikis usually have a template feature that can make your job as the teacher so much easier. You create a page with headings that can guide the students through the assignment, and attach a tag to it to turn it into a template (many wikis create a template using a tag ‘template’). You can than create a new page for each student, and by clicking the template you want each student will have the same specific directions and headings.
9. Give students roles and responsibilities! Wikis allow students to collaborate on projects. However, my experience tells me that effective collaboration must be taught. By providing students with roles and responsibilities, you help them collaborate online. When students work as a team, provide an outline of all the tasks each student must do and when they should do them. This way, you structure their learning and create success early. As students become more comfortable collaborating on a wiki, you can provide less structure and allow for more independence and freedom.
10. Ask questions! Each wiki should have a place to contact the developers’ help desk or locate the resource manual. There are people who are quick to offer assistance for any questions you may have. They have helped me out a lot!

Source: Baert, H. (2009). Wikis in physical education. Online article for PELinks4U.org. Received from http://www.pelinks4u.org/articles/baert1209.htm