wikis

Wikis
16 Mar

Using Achievements to Spur Wiki Participation

in collaboration, participation, wikis

I've been doing some research lately into how an "achievement system," popularized by modern videogames such as Halo and Gears of War, might be a great way to spur student participation in wiki projects. I just finished reading a great essay called "Using Wiki technology to support student engagement: Lessons from the trenches" published in Computers & Education 52.1 (2009). The author, Melissa Cole, found that most of her students weren't interested in her wiki at all, and no one had made any contributions to it after 5 weeks! The reasons ranged from the classic "I just couldn't figure it out..." Uh, come on, it's a wiki--you know, the simplest possible website to edit? The students were seniors, so I just don't buy that. The others claimed it was too time consuming, or, more honestly, that they just didn't have an interest it. As far as I can tell, the wiki wasn't part of the grade, so that probably explains a lot of Cole's trouble.

 

03 May

Gamifying Wikis

in gamification, videogames, wikis

You've probably heard the word gamification by now; I noticed several sessions on the topic at CCCCs. It's also more or less the subject of Jane McGonigal's book Reality is Broken, which I just managed to finish reading a few days ago. I intend to review the book in an upcoming podcast segment for Armchair Arcade Radio, but suffice it to say this book is a must-read if you're interested in "big picture" stuff concerning videogames. For now though, I want to think about how gamification and some of McGonigal's observations could improve wikis.

 

03 Oct

Wikis for Credit and a New Tool for Accuracy

in education, wikis

These items have been in my blogging queue for awhile now, but only now getting time to post them! The first is some news from Inside Higher Ed: Wikipedia for Credit. It concerns nine professors who are working with Wikimedia to weave Wikipedia into their courses. However, I'm disappointed that it doesn't mention the Rhet Comp Wikitext.

14 Sep

Open Textbook Production and Wikis

in open textbook, wikis, writing spaces

One of the things the editors will be thinking about after we publish Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vol. 2 (projected for Dec. 2010), is how to expand the project in new directions. It might include volumes on topics other than first year composition; or, as has been suggested already by one of the editors, it would be useful to do some curriculum development using the series.

In the latter case and with other initiatives I can imagine, Writing Spaces will have to move away from the peer-reviewed anthology model towards more highly collaborative commons-based peer production. As I have previously mentioned, the peer-reviewed anthology model works well for the typical teacher because the publication genre would be more familiar to those who evaluate teachers in tenure and promotion review. Moreover, it's also a familiar production process to the teacher. It's much easier for me to imagine the average teacher committing to writing a proposal, and if accepted, writing a full manuscript that is then reviewed by an editorial board, and finally going through copy editing, including reviewing galley proofs. Teachers know and understand this type of publication process. This as opposed to joining an online textbook community and sharing documents as digital media, or perhaps working on a wiki in commons-based peer production; engaging in such a publication adventure is a riskier commitment to the average faculty member because they don't know what to expect.

15 Aug

Kairos Issue 14.1 Released

in kairos, praxis, praxiswiki, Twitter, wikis

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy is pleased to announce the release of Issue 14.1 for Fall 2000. Our theme and our content for this issue can best be expressed by quoting editor Cheryl Ball's summary from Logging On:

#InThisIssue

Inventio: Delagrange reflects on Wunderkammer webtext process in “When Revision is Redesign: Key Qs for Digital Schol.” http://bit.ly/8HLki

Praxis: Carter & Dunbar-Odom present “Converging Literacies Center,” a model for writing programs w/iPhone interface! http://bit.ly/RbBlx