Category "Teaching Materials"
July 05, 2005
Embrace the Wiki Way!
Barton, Matt. “Embrace the Wiki Way!” Matt Barton’s TikiWiki. 21 May 2004. http://www.mattbarton.net/tikiwiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=4. 5 July 2005.
Barton explains the utility of wikis in plain and humorous language, making this a perfect piece to use as a handout or required reading in a Wiki 101 presentation. All the basics are covered here in a very friendly fashion: mutual aid, SoftSecurity, anarchism, pedagogy, et al.
He begins by pointing to definitions of wikis and then defines them himself. Authority, security, and authorship are briefly covered. Most useful is his list of projects that are and are not appropriate for wikis, along with reasoning for each:
- A novel : No. A novel is not a collaborative work.
- A personal portfolio: No. This is information that needs to be presented in a secure format.
- A reference guide: Yes. This sort of project can only benefit from collaboration.
- A directory of helpful websites: Yes, for the same reason.
- An argumentative essay: No. Too susceptible to revert wars.
Posted by kenne329 at 03:13 PM | Teaching Materials
Category "Academia"
Category "Teaching Materials"
June 22, 2005
Wide Open Spaces: Wikis, Ready or Not
Lamb, Brian. “Wide Open Spaces: Wikis, Ready or Not.” Educause Review. 39.5. Sept./Oct. 2004. 36-48.
This article provides a solid overview of wikis for a general academic audience. It does not contain any new research or realizations, but it is a wonderful article to hand out in class or in a presentation. (And that seems to be its mission, so it succeeds admirably.) Topics covered include:
- What is a wiki?
- Why is the concept valuable?
- Objections and responses (including the notion of SoftSecurity)
- Issues with the nonspatial construction of wikis
- Design issues (why are wikis so ugly?)
- Examples of use within the academy
- Pedagogical uses
- Intellectual Property issues
- Technical Considerations
Posted by kenne329 at 03:27 PM | Academia | Teaching Materials