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  • Using Wikis For Collaborative Learning

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    Michael Rowe
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    Another abstract I've submitted for presentation at the AMEE conference in Vienna later this year.

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    Using wikis for collaborative learning

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    Another abstract I've submitted for presentation at the AMEE conference in Vienna later this year.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    81 views1 page

    Using Wikis For Collaborative Learning

    Uploaded by

    Michael Rowe
    Another abstract I've submitted for presentation at the AMEE conference in Vienna later this year.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 1

    The use of a wiki to facilitate collaborative learning in a South African Physiotherapy

    Department

    Introduction
    Despite evidence that learning is social and emerges during interactions between people,
    the dominant form of teaching today is the lecture. The use of social software like wikis
    may provide a more collaborative teaching and learning experience in which active
    participation facilitates the internalisation of knowledge and development of critical
    thinking. Wikis allow the creation of webpages by users who have little or no knowledge of
    HTML and have features that encourage collaboration. The aim of this study was to
    determine if a wiki could be used by physiotherapy students to facilitate collaborative
    learning.

    Methods
    The study took place in a South African university physiotherapy department in 2009. A
    cross-sectional, mixed method design was used to evaluate students' attitudes and
    experiences after completing a wiki-based assignment as part of an Applied Physiotherapy
    module. Students were then surveyed using a self-developed questionnaire. Permission to
    conduct the survey was obtained from the head of the department, and ethical
    considerations applicable to the study of human subjects adhered to.

    Results
    Access to the internet was a challenge, with fewer than half able to work from home. Two
    thirds of the class did not know what a wiki was, and only one student had ever edited one.
    68% of participants agreed that their group had produced content that helped them to
    better understand their topic, but 30% were uncertain whether the wiki-based nature of the
    assignment helped with this. Many agreed that the peer review encouraged them to
    conduct more research than if they had been working alone. Only 30% of students agreed
    that the wiki was good for group assignments, with 57% saying that use of the wiki did not
    encourage them to work with others. In addition, many students reported being anxious at
    the outset, having little or no experience using wikis.

    Discussion and conclusion


    A lack of communication was highlighted as one reason that students did not enjoy
    working in groups, which indicated a poor understanding as to how the wiki could also be
    used as a communication platform. Educators should be aware of the challenges
    associated with the lack of internet access that is characteristic of students in developing
    countries.

    References
    Lundin, R. W. (2008). Teaching with Wikis: Toward a Networked Pedagogy. Computers
    and Composition, 25, 432-448

    Ramanau, R. & Geng, F. (2009). Researching the use of Wiki's to facilitate group work.
    Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1:2620-2626

    Keywords
    collaborative learning, physiotherapy, social media, wikis

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