Internet in the Classroom Internet Integration Research Wiki

Submitted by: Juanita Douglas Georgia Southern University

Dr. Elizabeth Downs FRIT-7330 June 22, 2011

The Internet in the Classroom Internet Integration Research Assignment #2

The use of Wikis as an instructional tool One of the main arguments being posited by modern researchers in the field education is that the use technology is critical in the teaching and learning. (Matthew, Felvegi & Callaway 2009) Wiki is one tool that has been identified as a major vessel that develops students learning through collaboration. Wikis are collaborative Web-based environments that allow multiple users to easily and quickly contribute content. They are dynamic, constantly changing Web pages where readers become authors and editors. In a case study conducted by Matthew et al. (2009), the findings revealed that the students were not only concerned with grades but enjoyed the collaboration they experienced. They saw the wiki as a tool that that benefited them all. Wheeler, Yeomans & Wheeler (2008) also recorded that the wiki was a good tool for collaboration. The results of the study also showed that after the initial problems of familiarizing themselves with the tools, students learned to delegate responsibilities, worked more often at home and said it helped them develop critical skills. In the examination of the wiki as a collaborative tool, Aharony (2008) and Hughes & Narayan (2009) also support the argument that the wiki was a great tool to be used for teaching. In their study of the use of wiki, Moskaliuk, Kimmerle & Cress (2010) concluded that through the collaborative process there was evidence for the two different processes of knowledge building; l: assimilative knowledge building contribution of new information without (re)organizing or connecting information and accommodative knowledge building understood as rebuilding or restructuring existing content to make new information compatible, or connecting different pieces of information.

From the studies it is clear that one of the strengths of the Wiki is derived from its ability to facilitate collaboration among users. Aharony (2009) identified that through the application of the wiki in the classroom it enables students and instructors to be in a continuous discussion, and that the wiki can be used as a knowledge repository. Furthermore, he suggests that wikis can support collaborative knowledge creation and sharing in an academic environment. However, success depends on certain variables familiarity with wiki technology, careful planning for implementation and use, appropriate class size, and motivation of students to engage in discovery learning. Wikis are also ideal for creating flexible environments. Kessler* &

Bikowski (2008) recorded that when students are allowed to have their own space to collaborate they are likely to build stronger relationships with one another In addition, such collaboration leads to a sense of ownership that encourages extensive utilization of the learning space. In my Language Arts class the wiki may be used several ways. Students can share their views on books they have read, share links on different subjects we discuss in class, view videos to reinforce subjects taught in the classroom and peer review each others work. I have been using the Wiki as a student for one year now, but plan to use it as a teacher in the new school year. Through my exploration with the wiki I have learned to upload videos documents and different files. This has been a great benefit to my educational growth. My mistakes included erasing the whole page of our practicum presentation sign-up page, but the skills and knowledge I have gained as result of using the wiki has been enormous. What I like most about the Wiki is there is a wide variety of free wikis and they are not blocked by my school system. I have therefore been using it as a medium for downloading videos from You Tube and showing these videos in my classroom for instructional purposes.

The merits of using Wikis in the classroom are vast. Matthew et al. (2009) As students researched content to add to the pages, they made connections to their prior knowledge and experiences, to the content they were learning in other classes, and to a variety of Internet resources. Because they are expected not to duplicate, students are forced to read the work of others and rereading the wiki pages resulted in students building on each others work. Students quests for relevant material to contribute to the wiki led them to read and reflect on the content in their textbooks. Teachers also found many strategies and web links they could post online for students to review. Contributing to the wiki reinforced classroom activities and extended

classroom discussions. Students technological skills and time management skills also improved. Students realized that they should not wait until the last minute to make edits, as access to a page might not be available. The use of Wikis allowed students technology skills to improve. Moskaliuk et al. (2009) reported in their study that when difficulty arose when students edited their pages, clicked save, and received an error message. When this was mentioned in class, other students responded that this had happened to them and that the solution was to click the refresh button in their Web browser. The use of some Web 2.0 is still met by some resistance in the learning community. Web 2.0 applications, such as wikis, require students to actively participate in the creation of knowledge rather than passively absorbing knowledge. The first barrier I anticipate in implementing this wiki as a learning tool in my classroom is complaints is having access to it. As a teacher from Title I school, Ive had parents who sent letters asking me to accept hand written letters because their computers were not working, had no Internet or no computer. Last semester I had a seventh grader ask me how to use the @ key. Another barrier may be initial ignorance of using the tool. This however can be overcome by teaching learners how to use the Wiki. Even after

students have been taught to use the wiki there may be a few students who prefer not to. Hughes & Narayan (2009) in their research reported that some students found using a word processor more enjoyable to write with than the wiki. In fact, in one of the open-ended survey questions, six of the seven students reported using other technologies (MS Word, Dreamweaver, HTML) to compose their contributions, view and copy the HTML code, and then paste the HTML code into the wiki in order to avoid the Wiki Language editing. The impact of the wiki in the classroom can be revolutionary. The main benefit identified in the researches of the Wiki is it allows users to collaborate with great flexibility. This form of collaboration facilitates the contribution of every participant in the learning group. It allows

teachers and students to harness lots of resources and place them on a shared space where they can be used and reviewed easily. The degree of the effectiveness of the wiki use lies with the willingness of the teacher to locate, review and place meaningful and interesting wiki. The teacher must also be willing to allow students to take ownership of the Wiki where they can take pride contributing to the knowledge base of the classroom. Moreover, since the Wikis are on the Internet, student learning can take place anywhere. The wiki has removed the walls of the classroom. The students classroom may be anywhere he has Internet access.

Bibliography
Aharony, N (2009). The use of wiki in an academic course: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Web Librarianship 3(1) 35-53. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Hughes J. & Narayan, R. (2009). Collaboration and learning with wikis in post-secondary classrooms. Journal of Interactive Online Learning 8(1) 63-82. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Kessler* G & Bikowski, D. (2010) Developing collaborative autonomous learning abilities in computer mediated language learning: attention to meaning among students in wiki space. Computer Assisted Language Learning 23(1), 41-58. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009). Wiki as a collaborative learning tool in a language

arts methods Class. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 42(1), 5172. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Wheeler, S., Yeomans P. & Wheeler D. (2008). The good, the bad and the wiki: Evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learning. British Journal of Educational Technology 39(6) 987995. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.