I suggested using a wiki on the first day of class (even then I was thinking it would be an interesting case) and it went from there. As time went on several broader questions emerged.

* What is the place of collaborative writing in graduate education & academia?
* Why do people contribute, and in what way do the do so?
* What is the pedagogical value?

Hopefully we’ll have a good discussion.

Participatory and Anti-hierarchical

A wiki can be great for teaching or just practicing responsibility and collaboration. If you’re looking for control over discussions, documents, or other features there are other tools that facilitate this better. That is not to say that your class wiki will turn into a free for all, but that if you’re looking to lock things down this is the wrong tool. Students and teachers are equal on many wikis, in a technical sense (like all voices are technically as loud in the classroom).

Progressively building knowledge

A wiki is excellent for progressively building knowledge over time, as different authors improve on the collaboratively authored content. This could be particularly useful in advanced courses or those where there are rapid developments. Students could work on different topics over time, or improve upon existing materials. The course could evolve around a project that was useful not just to the class but through the web, if so desired. If you want to use the same course materials, problems, and exercises, a wiki might not be the best tool for you.

Collaborative work

Simply as an alternative to the clunky and proprietary “track changes,” a wiki is a much more effective cross-platform open-source solution, especially where students are authoring new material. Also, it’s much more efficient than a simple document repository or emailing documents because the “master” can (depending on the wiki functionality) be simultaneously edited by multiple authors and the master copy is always in the same place. Without our wiki we would have never been able to produce an 11 author report in under a week with virtually zero logistical problems. (see prior post.)

Other ideas? How have you used your wiki in the classroom?