Nicole Arrold Wikis and Best Practice Logos for wiki (n.d.) Retrieved from

WIKIS? A series of editable pages to facilitate collaboration Asynchronous communication User friendly Many are free to access A powerful tool in education Wikid wiki. (n.d.) Retrieved from

How are wikis used in education? To promote group collaboration As a repository for content - able to be built upon To empower learners through a democratic philosophy To assist users with the challenge of collaborating, problem solving and critical thinking (Schroeder, 2009)

Research / presentation purpose To gain a better understanding of how to design a wiki by applying best practice principles Literature Review Wiki analysis Findings and implications for educators Research projects. (n.d.) Retrieved fromhttp://

A review of literature… I searched the EdITLib database for literature about best practices with wiki use Selected three articles that explicitly outlined wiki best practice Six common themes An identified gap in the literature  opportunity for growth

Selection of papers outlining wiki best practice

Wiki Best Practices Practice (sandbox)Clear wiki conventionsTechnical assistance Clear course expectations Meaningful/authentic activities Opportunities for collaboration Six identified best practices (Schroeder, 2009; Rubel, Wallace & Adams, 2012; Jones Kolloff & Kolloff, 2010)

Wiki selection I visited these sites to find five appropriate wikis to analyze Many wikis blocked for public viewing due to privacy settings

Criteria for wiki selection Used for collaboration purposes Implemented within in a classroom (“Student Made Math Movies”, n.d.)

Summary of wikis Key for best practices 1 – Practice (sandbox) 2 – Clear wiki conventions 3 – Technical assistance 4 – Clear course expectations 5 – Meaningful/authentic activities 6 – Opportunities for collaboration

Findings Trends Excellent opportunities to collaborate (some globally) Wiki used as a ‘home base’ – collaboration occurring elsewhere Educators are utilizing supporting tools like Dropbox, Google Docs and Vimeo to assist in collaboration process Authentic tasks well implemented - exampleexample Magnifying glass. (n.d.).

Findings Issues Only 40% of wikis provided users with a chance to practice Only 60% offered on site technical assistance for users A gap in literature that identifies wiki best practices

The inspiring Flat Classroom Project Click on picture to view

Implications for educators Opportunity for growth and understanding of wiki potential as more literature becomes available Exemplary examples of how wikis can empower, excite and engage learners Imperative that educators implementing wikis have a sound understanding of wiki best practices. Puzzle builders (n.d.) Retrieved from driscoll-class.wikispaces.com driscoll-class.wikispaces.com

Thank you… I appreciate your time and am grateful that you have listened to my presentation You have helped me edge closer to my Masters.

Reference list Coach Einfeldt's Junior English Wiki. [n.d]. Retrieved August 31, 2013, from Fireworks. (n.d.). Retrieved from love-fireworks-they-put-the-brain-at-the-edge-of-fear-and-fun/ Flat Classroom Project. [n.d]. Retrieved September 1, 2013, from Global Read Aloud. [n.d]. Retrieved September 1, 2013, from Global-Village. [n.d]. Retrieved September 1, 2013, from

Reference list Jones, P., Kolloff, M. & Kolloff, F. (2010). Best Practices to Support and Assess Learning Using Wikis. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp ). Retrieved from Logos for wiki (n.d.) Retrieved from e/ e/ Magnifying glass. (n.d.). Puzzle builders (n.d.) Retrieved from driscoll-class.wikispaces.comdriscoll-class.wikispaces.com Research projects. (n.d.) Retrieved fromhttp://

Reference list Rubel, C., Wallace, M. & Adams, A. (2012). Promoting a Culture of Best Practices Using Wikis and Blogs in Virtual Education. In Proceedings of Global TIME conference (pp ). Retrieved September 11, 2013 from Schroeder, B. (2009). Within the Wiki: Best Practices for Educators. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 17(3), Retrieved from Student Made Math Movies. [n.d]. Retrieved August 31, 2013, from Wikid wiki. (n.d.) Retrieved from