Wiki Spaces For Online Learning

Ok so we are down to the business end of the term. I have used  SWOT to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of Wiki spaces as an online learning space. Here's what I found.

Strengths

It is easy to create and edit so that even those who do not have strong ICT skills can use and navagate.
It allows for images, data, videos, power points and most forms of information to be uploaded and stored in one location
The data is never lost. Data is easily retrieved via the wiki recycling bin.
The learner magager can monitor and support online usage
It provides a great space for group work (collaboration).
It provides a great space to solve problem-based activities.
It allows for interdpendent thinking (habit of mind Dol 5)by establishing a space where group thinking activities and a sense of working for the benefit of the group skills can be formed (Mazarno & Pickering, 1997).
It has three levels of security.
                                             Privite Site -No visitors, only those with permission can view
                                             Public Site- Anyone can view this site & it's content , however, they cannot hold accounts on this site without permission
                                             Open Site- Anyone can view, add, delete and edit all content and information
HOWEVER: Seperate pages, files and content can be locked as private so that others cannot view, edit or delete these pages.
                                       

Weaknesses

Does not have an appealing look and feel design.
Unable to design to look and feel of space.
Data can be edited by others
Unable to view other wiki members online
Cannot edit data at the same time as someone else
Would not be an effective learning space if productive pedagogy and scaffolding were amiss
Would not be effective if explicit instructions into it's use and function as a learning site is not explained
Would not be effective if students were not clear about the tasks (Dol1)
Would not be effective if expectations of usage were not explained (Essential skill 1)

Opportunities

Students are able to continue working work outside of school hours.
Allows for interdependent thinking (habits of mind Dol 5).
Callabortive learning with class members, students from other schools nation and world wide (Productive Pedagogy Connectedness)(Constructivism).
Able to gather information from videos, and images assisting visual learners (Learning Styles).
Provides opportunity for 'Productive Pedagogy' Supportive Classroom
                                                      -Social support
                                                      - Academic engagement
                                                      - Student direction
Provides opportunity for 'Productive Pedagogy' Recognition of Difference
                                                      -Cultural diversity
                                                      -Inclusivity
                                                      - Active citizenship
                                                      -Group identity
Provides opportunity for 'ProductivePedagogy' Connectedness
                                                                            -Background knowledge
                                                                            - Connectedness to the world
Provides opportunity for 'Productive Pedagogy' Intellectual Quality
                                                                            -Substansive conversations
                                                                            -Metalanguage
Provides opportunity for 'Reciprocal Teaching' through question generation and clarification
Provides opportunity for 'Augumentation" by taking a position and giving a reason for that position (Social & Cognitive Constructivism)
Allows for 'Generativity' (the sense of responsibility to share knowledg and skills)(Social Development)
Provides opportunity for 'Intersubjectivity' as the learning space produces socially shared experiences, understanding and mutual engagement (Social Development)
Provides ooportunity for 'Socially Shared Cognition' by providing a space to solve group problems and to solve problems as a group member
Provides ooportunity for stregnthening 'Formal Operations' by solving abstract problems and coming up with hypothesis (Cognitive Development)
Provides ooportunity for engaging and interesting tasks, information, textx, media and so on.. therefore, students may percieve tasks as valuable and interesting (Dol 1)
Provies ooportunity for 'Evaluation' by making judgments about the value of ideas or information (Bloom's Taxonomy)
Provides ooportunity for 'Synthesis' by allowing students to put all of the groups information together to form a whole (Bloom's Taxonomy)
Provides opportunity for 'Thinking and communicating with clarity & precision (Habits of Mind Dol5)
Provides opportunity for Essential Skills 6. Descriptive encouragement, letting the students know when they are on task(on task acklowedgement). Essential Skill 8. Redirective learning, when topic or group work is going off tasks teachers can provide redirection (off task correction).

Note:

All of the above opportunities will only occur if the wiki space has been scaffolded, and supported with great pedagogy, interesting content, and explicit instructions on it's functuality.

Threats    

That if the right prvacy setting is not set, sensitive or personal information can be leaked from the site.
Cyberbullying may take place if monitoring of the site is not sufficiant.

 

Safe, Legal & Ethical Issue's

Safety is important on any site where the public can view and obtain personal information. In addition, as previosly stated, issues involving cyber bullying may create an unsafe environment for the students affected.
Legality is an important part of ensuring students make attributions and reference to images, video's and information that has been retrieved from the internet or other forms of media/text.
Additionally, a letter may need to be sighned by the parents to obtain permission for the student to access the site.
Ethical issues may arise if students have not been given explicit instruction on the proper uses of the space. Students may need to sign a contract or a letter of aknowledgement so that they understand their rights and the rights of others using the shared site.
                                       



References

Big Dog Little Dog. (2012). Blooms taxonomy of learningdomains: The three types of learning. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html#cognitive

Marzano, R.J & Pickering, D.J. (1997). Dimensions of learning teacher’s manual (2^nd ed. ) Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratry.

O'Donnell, Dobozy, Bartlett, Bryer, Reeve, Smith. (2012). Educational psychology. Milton, Queensland, Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.
Education Queensland. (n.d.). Better behaviour better learning: Essential skills for classroom management. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government

Wikispaces, 2012. Help: Security. Retrieved from http://help.wikispaces.com/Security
Wikispaces, 2012. Help: Privacy and permissions. Retrieved from http://help.wikispaces.com/Privacy+and+Permissions