The use of Wikis in Education - a review of the literature

This paper reviews the literature surrounding the use of Web 2.0 in education. It examines various perspectives of what Web 2.0 means, and how Web 2.0 can support a constructivist pedagogy. Case studies involving Wikis are examined and the problems experienced are considered from both a technological and a group-working perspective. The paper concludes that although Wikis have the potential to support social-constructivism the differences between artificially constructed learning groups (formal learning) and self-forming and emergent social groups (informal learning) result in a requirement for greater attention to the theories on group working when creating group tasks using Wikis for learning purposes. Wikis are a tool and do not, by themselves, result in satisfactory collaborationPeer reviewe

A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education

This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching

Wiki-based Collaborative Writing Activities in ESL Contexts

Driven by Vygotsky\u27s sociocultural theory and the notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), and Long\u27s interaction hypothesis, the study investigated how intermediate-level international students at an urban U.S. Mid-South university interacted in wiki-based collaborative writing. students\u27 perspectives toward the integration of wikis in writing assignments and why they hold such perspectives were also objectives of the study. Eighteen students in small groups of three were asked to collaboratively write three different paragraphs, namely, summary, compare/contrast, and classification.Using a triangulation mixed-methods approach, the data were collected over 8 weeks. Pre-and post-survey questionnaires were adminstered using an online survey website to get the students\u27 opinions. A password-protected class wiki was set up to help students collaborate on the writing prompts. Because not all participants had used wikis before, the researcher gave a training session and asked students to do a mock writing activity. For simplicity and a friendly-user interface, PBworks.com was chosen from several free wiki sites. Following the course syllabus design, the writing instructor chose the writing prompts and asked the researcher to post them online in a timely-manner.Key findings of the study revealed that the majority of students hold positive attitudes toward wiki-based collaborative writing although it was the first time for all the students to work on wikis. The reasons behind students\u27 positive attitudes included, but are not limited to, the fact that students helped and scaffolded one another to develop one well-written product and the opportunity to collaborate anytime and anywhere on the class wiki. Another interesting finding indicated that students\u27 attention to form (i.e., grammatical surface structure) and meaning (i.e., content) is affected by the writing task. The study\u27s results accord with previous studies. The study concluded with several suggestions for future research studies

Promoting learner autonomy through multiliteracy skills development in cross-institutional exchanges

This contribution presents findings from two empirical case studies, which followed a task-based telecollaborative learning format. Participants included student teacher trainees, tutors, and language learners from colleges/universities in Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The projects aimed at promoting learner autonomy through awareness raising of modes and meaning-making online and multiliteracy skills development based on hands-on analysis of web resources and social networking tools. It was hoped that this awareness would foster the teachers' own autonomy in virtual learning environments and enable them to design tasks which—in turn—would promote learner autonomy as understood by Palfreyman (2006): the informed use of a range of interacting resources in context. We argue that this awareness is reflected in enhanced multimodal communicative competence, i.e., “the ability to understand the combined potential of various modes for making meaning” (Royce, 2002, p. 92), and multiliteracy, with the latter allowing teachers and learners to realize the potential of blended and online only settings for language acquisition purposes. Ideally then, while becoming gradually more versed in multimodality and multiliteracy, learners can also take over more control and self-direct their own learning when working online (Benson, 2001) which are also characteristics of autonomy

The Panhellenic Project: assessing learning engagement using Web 2.0 technologies

High attrition rates have been a consistent occurrence among online learners, creating the challenge of how to design online instruction for the type of learning that encourages student engagement. With new technologies constantly evolving, the question becomes how educators can use these new web-based applications to engage students and possibly resolve the problem of high attrition among online learners? The purpose of this study was to assess the level of learning engagement through student participation in The Panhellenic Project, an instructional design model that integrated constructivist learning principles with Web 2.0 technologies. Additionally, the usefulness of structured orientations to the Web 2.0 technologies and the effectiveness of these technologies was also investigated. Using a mixed-methods case study design, The Panhellenic Project was framed around a collaborative group activity where undergraduate students worked in teams with the task of creating a three-dimensional virtual ancient Greek Parthenon and one ancient Olympic game event within the Second Life virtual world. A project wiki was established for student-participants to research sports history as well as share knowledge, information and resources. An informational blog with project resource information was developed as a Second Life learning reference. Multiple sources were used to capture data including the Survey of Student Engagement, pre- and post-project questionnaires, and electronic discourse analysis of wiki posts and Second Life chat transcripts. Research finding showed that the majority of the student-participants were engaged in The Panhellenic Project and that learning had occurred over the length of project implementation. The structured orientation and training sessions were perceived as effective in connecting theoretical and practical knowledge, though not effective for teaching students to use the Second Life virtual world. Overall, the level of difficulty experienced in learning the application influenced student-participant perceptions about the effectiveness of the Web 2.0 technologies used in this study. Further, analysis of the data revealed that the participants consistently demonstrated constructivist learning activities through interaction with other learners, collaborative teamwork and the sharing of multiple perspectives as they completed The Panhellenic Project

Using TPACK to promote effective language teaching in an ESL/EFL classroom

Technology integration in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) using Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) seems to be a new territory for teachers and researchers. For this reason, this literature review explores the use of TPACK in the EFL/ESL classroom. In this review, principles, methods and activities related to English teaching are reviewed and discussed. Also, the foundations of TPACK, activity types and their applications not only in other subject areas, but also in the EFL/ESL area are explored. For this purpose, articles, studies and books were consulted to find literature that explores the integration of technology using TPACK framework. After analyzing 38 sources including journal articles and books, it was concluded that the application of TPACK in English teaching has not been explored in extent. Therefore, more empirical studies need to be done to achieve technology integration in EFL/ESL using TPACK

Helping students connect: architecting learning spaces for experiential and transactional reflection

Given the complex and varied contexts that inform students’ consciousness and occasion their learning, learning spaces are more than physical and virtual spaces. Learning spaces are also a range of situations sedimented in our continuum of experiences that shape our philosophical orientations. As such, this article, written from the perspectives of two faculty members in an English department at a four-year public university, describes our efforts to do the following. First, to draw upon models of instructional design we have experienced in our own educational backgrounds; and equally importantly, to develop learning spaces that support learning that is continuous, situated, and personal. Specifically, we critique the ways in which learning has been segregated from the rest of our life contexts for us throughout our educational histories. The irony is that this de-segregation has motivated us to create diverse learning spaces that provide our students with a more realistic set of tools and techniques for integrative life-long learning

THE IMPACT OF THE WIKI-ENHANCED TBLT APPROACH ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL IN A BOYS’ PUBLIC SCHOOL IN AL AIN, UAE

This study investigated the impact of the wiki-enhanced task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach on students’ writing skill in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, it explored the students’ and teacher’s views and perceptions toward the implementation of the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach. The study data were collected quantitatively and qualitatively from two classrooms in a public high school in the UAE, which consisted of 30 students. The quantitative data were collected via a pretest–posttest design from the two assigned groups of students: the control and experimental groups. The qualitative data were collected via a survey of the students and a semi-structured interview with the teacher. The study was conducted during a whole academic semester. The findings of the study show that implementing the wiki-enhanced TBLT technique considerably improves EFL learners’ writing skills in relation to the four language components examined in this study: syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy, fluency, and lexical complexity. In addition, the students enjoyed working together on writing tasks using the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach. Their responses showed that the TBLT approach encourages better performance in collaborative writing tasks and classroom engagement. Moreover, the classroom teachers indicated that the implementation of this approach played a significant role in promoting students’ performance, communication, collaboration, and engagement in the target language (English) in the experimental group. Furthermore, the findings showed that students can construct new knowledge with the aid of their peers, thereby improving their capacity to devise and discuss original ideas. As students can practice collaborative writing while at home, the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach is beneficial for online learning. Adopting this approach increased students’ participation in class because they were more comfortable working together while using technology, improving the quality of their writing and assignments. Several theoretical and pedagogical implications regarding the implementation of this approach have been drawn. The first theoretical implication of this study is that the wiki approach supports previous efforts to move the socio constructivist perspective of learning from the spoken discourse to the written discourse. The second theoretical implication is that it provides support to Chapelle\u27s framework (2003) where learning should be focused on tasks that require the use of the target language. Learning should take place in meaningful and real-life contexts, and instruction should be tailored to the individual needs of the learner. The third theoretical implication is that his study is the first to be conducted in the Gulf region, especially in the UAE. Regarding the pedagogical implications of the TBLT approach, the first pedagogical implication is that teachers need to consider the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach a standard and favored classroom strategy. The second pedagogical implication is that the wiki approach can be used by teachers as a teaching strategy to promote students’ participation and engagement and create a friendly social environment in the L2 classroom. The third pedagogical implication is that technology has proved to be integral in the classroom in teaching and learning the target language. The fourth pedagogical implication is for course designers who need to consider the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach as part of the curriculum. Based on these findings, future research can consider examining the effect of the wiki-enhanced TBLT approach on EFL learners’ writing skill at different levels, such as primary, college, or university students. Future research might also investigate the effect of Google Docs–based TBLT approach on developing students’ writing skill and explore students’ perceptions toward using this approach

A review on use of social media in teaching and learning

Online learning are rapidly evolving in educational uses through social media. Previous research has identified the problem occured where the guidance for appropriate use of social media is needed so that can embark more effective and efficient learning environment. Social media has been shown to have a positive impact towards learner hence making the process of teaching and learning more meaningful. This is because social networking tools can provide opportunities for students to find information, collect their own material, communicate and interact towards each other. Therefore, this concept paper reviews the use of online learning through social media conducted by previous researchers. Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of implementing social media in teaching and learning also beeing reviewed. This review paper describe the use of online learning through social media and also its pros and cons compared to traditional media. As the conclusion, results from the previous research shows that, online learning through social media have a good feedback and advantages that can inline in education purposes

TRADITIONAL VS. WIKI: SAUDI STUDENTS\u27 PERFORMANCE IN AND PERCEPTIONS OF COLLABORATIVE WRITING IN A WIKI

This research study was a quasi-experimental study that investigated the impact of collaborative writing on 76 male EFL students\u27 writing performance in an online (wiki) classroom compared with a traditional (paper-and-pencil) collaborative writing classroom. The subjects were enrolled in a semester-long advanced English writing course at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, and were equally divided into two classrooms---online/wiki (experimental) and traditionally-taught (control). In the experimental classroom, students used wiki to collaborate; in the control classroom, students used face-to-face communication and notebooks. Both treatments were compared analyzing data collected from a pretest and post-test of individual writing, three collaborative writing assignments, a collaborative writing questionnaire, and individual interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, maximum, minimum, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (repeated measures ANOVA and t-test). Analysis of individual writing in the pretest and post-test showed that the number of words and grammatical form scores significantly increased in both the experimental (wiki) and control (paper and pencil) classrooms. In total score, content, diction and tone, and mechanics, the students’ scores in both classrooms significantly increased regardless of the treatment the students received. Additionally, there was a significant difference in the post-test scores between the treatments, with the wiki classroom scoring higher than the traditional classroom. In rhetorical structure, the scores in both classrooms significantly improved from the pretest to the post-test, yet, they were also slightly different between treatments. Analysis of the collaborative writing assignments showed that the writing quantity (i.e., word count) and quality (i.e., total score, content, rhetorical structure, grammatical form, diction and tone, and mechanics) significantly increased over time in both treatments. However, there was no significant difference between treatments and time by treatment. The students’ perceptions of writing collaboration were significant but were not for the rest of the measurements. They responded similarly in writing performance, writing apprehension, and its future use. Qualitative analysis of student interview data showed that both treatments yielded positive responses toward collaborative writing in terms of its usefulness, ease of use, and process writing. However, there were some limitations regarding this experience (i.e., participation, technical problems)