Page 218 - DCAP609_CLOUD_COMPUTING

Unit 14: Collaborating via Blogs and Wikis

Notes
5. Coverage of the Web Documents Coverage
Are the links (if any) evaluated and If page requires special software to view
do they complement the documents' the information, how much are you
themes? missing if you don't have the software?
Is it all images or a balance of text Is it free or is there a fee to obtain the
and images? information?
Is the information presented cited Is there an option for text only, or frames,
correctly? or a suggested browser for better viewing?

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
7. A blog is an online place for public expression and comment.
8. Blogs are equal in terms of the quality of information provided and should always be
evaluated carefully.
9. Information is not brief if it is succinct and to-the-point.
10. Information is timely if it is up-to-date.

11. Blogs should be well designed for speed, accessibility, transparency and clarity.
12. Some designers take it as a mechanical task and they design the navigation accordingly.

14.3 Evaluating Wikis for Collaboration

A wiki is a publishing platform on which many people can contribute new content and revise
existing content. The content benefits from the collective knowledge base and the dynamic
nature of the contributions.

Example: Wikipedia, wikiHow, Wikimedia Commons.
In our view, wikis represent a technology which can potentially provide an environment that
embodies social-constructivist principles since groups of learners can create, revise and insert
comments in a single article in a simple manner where the result is immediately obvious (and
not hidden in a thread of a forum or blog). Thus learners are actively involved in their own
co-construction of knowledge. From a teaching perspective there are associated benefits: tutors
can also insert feedback at the point required, so the wiki facilitates timely and specific in-task
guidance which promotes learning. Importantly, the wiki also tracks all individual contributions
and changes.
In essence, wikis help create a dynamic, collaborative learning environment where learning
happens through open discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions, collaborative construction
and sharing of knowledge, and active participation. This is also exactly the environment needed
to promote peer and self-assessment, which Boud and Falchikov (2007) consider one of the keys
to self-regulated learning and sustainable assessment.

Indeed, wikis have been used in higher education in a variety of ways.

Example: Online collaborative writing, a laboratory notebook, as a knowledge
repository, in a project wiki, as a course evaluation tool, as a presentation tool and as a distance
learning tool.
Research and evidence suggest that a wiki is an excellent tool for online collaboration in an
educational context. However, although the democratisation of knowledge in a wiki affords

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