In January of 2008, the University of Pittsburgh officially rolled out an upgraded version of CourseWeb with several new innovative learning tools. Included in the upgrade was a unique building block. A building block is software from a company other than Blackboard Inc. that is installed inside of CourseWeb. This particular building block is from Learning Objects Inc. and is designed to engage students while building collaboration through the use of wikis and blogs.
So what exactly is a wiki?
Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word wiki wiki which means quick. It was originally applied to a software package that allowed for quick changes to a Web site. It has come to refer to a Web site that allows the readers or users to quickly add, edit, and delete content. One of the most famous (and frequently cited sites by students) is http://en.wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia whose content is created and updated by its users.
In CourseWeb, wikis provide a mechanism whereby students can add, edit, and remove content within the course. This content is manipulated by means of a user-friendly text box editor on the course page. Content can include text, images, files, and, most important, links to other wiki pages and the World Wide Web. If the user is comfortable using basic word processing functions, sending e-mail with attachments, and locating web resources he or she has the necessary skills to learn to use a wiki.
How can a wiki be used in a course? There are a variety of ways that wikis can be incorporated into a course. A wiki offers the means to organize and present content that goes beyond the traditional paper or report. Because it is a Web site, the wiki offers creators the ability to connect information in multi-dimensional formats by linking across wiki pages and to resources on the Internet. Some ways wikis might be used in the classroom include: presenting a group or individual project; preparing a case study; sharing resources among class members; or creating a knowledge base.
What are some of the options with wikis in CourseWeb?
There are two types of wikis in each course. The first is a course wide wiki that is available to all course users. The Course Wiki is limited to that specific course. In other words, it cannot be copied or cloned to a new course shell. The second type of wiki is a Content Area Wiki. These can be made available to all course users or restricted to a subset of the course enrollment, i.e., an individual, specific individuals, or groups. A Content Area Wiki can be copied to a new course shell.
There are a number of deployment options available to instructors to suit the needs of individual courses. Instructors have the option of allowing non members to view and/or add comments to wiki pages created by other course users. Viewing access can be further restricted by date and/or time. Editing access by wiki members can be restricted by date and/or time. Wikis can be exported by course users. The export creates a stand-alone Web site that can no longer be edited using the CourseWeb interface. Instructors have tracking built into wikis to determine which students have edited which pages. Wikis keep track of changes made to the different wiki pages. This allows users to revert to previous versions.
What is a blog?
The word blog is an acronym for Web Log. As the name suggests, a blog is a journal or diary published online. Blogging refers to the practice of adding content or entries to a blog which appear in chronological order with the most recent on top. Blogs have become an accepted means of communication to share thoughts and experiences by a wide variety of people: private citizens, corporate CEOs, and even government officials.
How can a blog be used in a course?
One use of blogs is to document over time the progression of a project, research endeavor, or externship in one area that is accessible by both student and instructor. Blogs could be used to provide a running commentary on issues or reflections on course materials. They encourage critical thinking and written communication skills while offering the instructor a methodical process for feedback to individuals or all students in a course. Members of a blog have the option to post long entries or upload files containing their work. The interface for manipulating content, links, and files in a blog is very similar to the wiki interface which requires basic computer skills.
What are some of the blog options in CourseWeb?
There are two types of blogs in CourseWeb. The first is a Course Blog that is available to all users. Like the Course Wiki, the Course Blog cannot be copied or cloned to another course. Membership in the Course Blog cannot be restricted to a subset of the course enrollment. The instructor can choose, however, to allow or not allow members to view one another’s entries.
The second type of blog is a Content Area Blog. There are actually two types of Content Area Blogs. One is a Group Content Area Blog and the other is a Private Journal Content Area Blog. Both can be made available to all course users or restricted to an individual, specific individuals, or groups. The difference between them is that all the members of a Group Content Area Blog can view one another’s entries. Students in a Private Journal Content Area Blog can only view their entries AND all of the Instructor entries. They cannot see entries made by other students.
As with the wikis, instructors have a number of deployment options available to them. For blogs restricted to a subset of the course, the instructor can choose to allow or not allow non-members to view blog entries and view/add comments to these entries. Viewing can be narrowed to a defined range of dates/times. Instructors can choose to allow students to export the blog. Exporting creates a stand-alone Web site that can no longer be edited using the CourseWeb interface.
Where can examples of wikis and blogs in use be found?
Start with the Learning Objects Web site at www.learningobjects.com to view case studies of other institutions using the same wikis and blogs available in CourseWeb. In one example, the School of Nursing at the University of North Florida successfully moved a paper and pen journal to an online format using the blog tool. Seton Hall University uses wikis to “support a variety of group activities at the university, including team lab work in an ecology class, final student project presentations in Art History, and collaborative group assignments in Communications Leadership courses.” Both tools afford the means to record throughout the semester the progression of work by students that is easily accessible to both student and instructor thus eliminating the need to keep track of multiple paper submissions and e-mails.
What are some tips for introducing wikis and blogs?
Begin by introducing a simple project using a wiki or a blog. Give yourself time to become familiar with the tool and results produced by your students. Give students a brief orientation on using the selected tool along with access to a handout on adding content. (Handouts on adding content to wikis or blogs are available at www.cidde.pitt.edu/cw/bbsupport.html) Consider giving the students a practice wiki or blog with which to experiment that does not count for a grade.
Keep in mind these simple definitions for wikis and blogs when choosing which one to use for your project: a wiki is a Web site with multiple pages while a blog is a journal or diary. Consider which students will need editing access, viewing privileges, and/or comment rights to the tool. If students will be editing or giving feedback to other students in the form of peer review, provide guidelines for this process.
Make your expectations for the assignment clear. If the content should be organized in a specific manner, state this in your instructions. Eliminate uncertainty on the part of students on how to begin the project. Remember, using these tools for the first time may be just as unfamiliar to your students as they were to you.
Before creating a new project or assignment to make use of a wiki or blog, ask yourself what you are doing now in a course that could be taken to the next level by incorporating a wiki or blog. Do not be surprised if the results turn out a bit different than expected. Be prepared to rework the assignment for future courses to incorporate the positive and reduce any negative results. Keep an open mind and do not be afraid to experiment!
Are there resources available to get started with these tools in CourseWeb?
Start by going to www.cidde.pitt.edu/cw/bbsupport.html, which is the Center for Instructional Development & Distance Education Web site. Here you will find a variety of PDFs and webcasts on strategies for putting these tools into practice along with links to the Learning Objects Web site. There are two handouts on adding content to wikis and blogs available on this site. Please feel free to link to these or to post them in your CourseWeb class for students to use. The Faculty Instructional Development Lab also offers workshops on wikis and blogs. Visit our Web site at www.cidde.pitt.edu/cw/training_form.htm to view the schedule and sign up for a workshop.
References
Learning Objects Inspire Thinking Online. 30 Jan. 2008 <http://www.learningobjects.com>.
Dictionary.Com. 30 Jan. 2008 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wiki>.
Dictionary.Com. 30 Jan. 2008 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blog>.
CourseWeb is the University of Pittsburgh’s implementation of the Blackboard Course Management and Content System.
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