238 research outputs found

    Designing Online Discussion Support Systems for Academic Setting- The Wiki Way

    Get PDF

    Improving the usability of wikis: Case IT product team of Company X

    Get PDF
    ABSTRACT AALTO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Information and Service Management Master’s thesis Antti Karhu Improving the usability of wikis Purpose of the study This thesis seeks to increase understanding of wiki usability problems and to find possible ways to improve the usability of wikis. The effect that usability improvements have on wiki use will be evaluated in an empirical study using a theoretical framework formed during in this thesis. In addition, a better understanding of the wiki way of working will be sought. Methodology: A literature review of relevant research will be done. The focus is on findings regarding the technical properties of wikis, wiki implementation issues and use of wikis in organizations as well as findings about wiki usability issues and ways to improve usability of wikis. Based on the findings of the literature review, two new theoretical frameworks will be built. To test the validity of the frameworks, empirical research is conducted at a case company. In the empirical part, the Action Design Research Methodology is utilized. Usability of a wiki used by the case company is evaluated and improvements to found problems are implemented. The effect of the implemented improvements on wiki use at the case company is then observed for five months by following statistics of wiki use and interviewing the users of the wiki. Findings The technical properties of wikis that are essential to the wiki way of working were found, and understanding of wiki usability issues was increased. Two frameworks were formed based on research findings of the study. In the frameworks it was proposed that the continued use of a wiki with low usability leads to lost productivity. It was also proposed that by improving the usability of a wiki, it is possible to get more users to embrace the wiki way of working, leading to increased productivity. The validity of the proposals was tested in the case company. The proposals were found to be true. It was shown that it is possible to increase people’s willingness to contribute to a wiki by improving its usability. This was also shown to lead to increased productivity compared to the situation before the introduction of the improvements. It was also found that templates and user interface improvements are good methods to increase usability and they do not disrupt the wiki way of working. They methods can also be applied to other information systems

    Applying sequential mixed-methods approaches when working with businesses: insights from longitudinal research into the influence of business on sustainable lifestyles

    Get PDF
    Working with businesses can be complex and equally demanding requiring flexible and rigorous research approaches to ensure sufficient data is captured to fully answer the respective research questions. Sequential mixed-methods approaches allow to combine quantitative and qualitative methods in ways that allow for exploration and explanation. While often multifaceted and resource-intense, sequential designs such as sequential exploratory and sequential explanatory approaches utilize a wide breadth of data in an attempt to capture the real world in its entirety. The application of both types of sequential mixed-methods designs is presented by drawing on a longitudinal behavior change study with IKEA UK & Ireland, a leading multi-national home furniture retailer. A variety of qualitative data mining techniques were used to collect data including qualitative data from in-depth semi-structured interviews and blog posts, among others. Quantitative data were collected following a pre-post survey design. The case example demonstrates the potential of sequential designs, addressing advantages and potential challenges. It also highlights the need to stay flexible throughout the research process to adapt to changes while applying a rigorous approach to data collection and analysis

    Training teachers for the multimedia age: developing teacher expertise to enhance online learner interaction and collaboration

    Get PDF
    This article considers the skills that enable teachers to foster interaction and collaboration in online language learning. Drawing on Hampel and Stickler’s (2005) skills pyramid for online language learning and teaching, it presents the pre-service and in-service training programme that associate lecturers in the Department of Languages at the Open University undergo in the context of teaching languages with the help of online communication tools. Two projects are presented that shed more light on the expertise required to teach languages in virtual learning environments. The first project highlights the skills that are needed to teach in a complex online environment; the second one, a teacher training study, aimed to examine distance teachers’ experience of facilitating online group work, identify development needs, try out the potential of specific asynchronous and synchronous tools to support collaborative learning and trial possible development activities. The paper concludes by describing the kind of training programme that tutors require in order to acquire the skills identified

    Choosing A Wiki Platform For Student Projects Lessons Learned

    Get PDF
    Wikis offer many benefits, such as two-way flows of information, early and consistent feedback, and greater student group collaboration, in an educational setting.  Some researchers have already reported on the use of Wikis in their classes.  However, instructors must choose an appropriate Wiki platform in order to receive all of the benefits of their use.  Failure to do so can lead to significant frustration on the part of both students and the instructor.  Using a framework put forth by Schwartz et. al. (2004), this paper reports on the use of various Wiki platforms in an introductory information systems class.  Lessons learned from this experience are discussed

    A review of e-learning technologies – opportunities for teaching and learning

    Full text link
    The number of different e-learning technologies available to support teaching and learning is growing exponentially. A major issue for faculty and educational developers in higher education is to determine which e-learning technology is most appropriate to support their particular teaching needs and provide optimum learning opportunities for students. Over the last few years a vast amount of literature has been published on e-learning technologies and how they are used in education Therefore the decision to use a particular technology should be based on sound research and clear evidence. This paper reviews many of these e-learning technologies and provides information regarding their use and the opportunities afforded by them.<br /

    Collaborative work with wikis in the setting and monitoring language learning objectives

    Get PDF
    79 Páginas.Esta propuesta de investigación apunta a explorar los efectos de usar colaborativamente las herramientas de comunicación mediada por computadora llamadas Wikis en el establecimiento y monitoreo de objetivos de aprendizaje de lengua por parte de estudiantes adultos de inglés. El proyecto pertenece al paradigma cualitativo investigación-acción y fue llevado a cabo en instituto de lenguas de una universidad pública en Colombia. Este Proyecto de investigación es una iniciativa para fomentar el trabajo colaborativo por medio del uso de wikis en el establecimiento de objetivos de aprendizaje de lengua durante el trabajo auto-dirigido de los estudiantes. La propuesta está enmarcada dentro la perspectiva de desarrollo de aprendizaje autónomo apoyado por el uso de la herramienta web 2.0, wikis. Los resultados del reporte de tesis indican características del trabajo colaborativo en el cual los estudiantes ayudaron, proporcionaron recursos y contribuyeron en la tarea de crear y hacer seguimiento a los objetivos del lenguaje

    Comparing user experiences in using Twiki & Mediawiki to facilitate collaborative learning

    Get PDF
    This research seeks to determine the perceived effectiveness of using TWiki and MediaWiki in collaborative work and knowledge management; and to compare the use of TWiki and MediaWiki in terms of user experiences in the master’s level of study at the University of Hong Kong. Through a multiple case study approach, the study adopted a mixed methods research design which used both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze findings from specific user groups in two study programmes. In the study, both wiki platforms were regarded as suitable tools for group work co-construction, which were found to be effective in improving group collaboration and work quality. Wikis were also viewed as enabling tools for knowledge management. MediaWiki was rated more favorably than TWiki, especially in the ease of use and enjoyment experienced. The paper should be of interest to educators who may want to explore wiki as a platform to enhance students’ collaborative group work.postprintThe 6th International Conference on Knowledge Management (ICKM 2009), Hong Kong, 3-4 December 2009. In Proceedings of ICKM, 2009, p. 1-1

    Wikis for Teaching and Learning

    Get PDF
    An academic course presents an opportunity for all participants to collaborate for improving their knowledge. This collective improvement of knowledge is typically documented via material provided by the instructor and notes and assignments prepared by students. Over the course of a semester, these materials provide not only the collective knowledge in that course, but also provide a chronological history of how the knowledge base evolved. The focus of this study is wiki collaboration in teaching & learning contexts. A wiki is a medium in which a group of individuals can work together asynchronously on an idea and easily capture the essence in a reusable format. Technically, a wiki is a collection of hyperlinked Web pages that are assembled with wiki software. With wikis, the line between reader and contributor is intentionally blurred. Further, wiki use reflects the view of an instructor as one who facilitates information sharing among learners rather than simply transmitting knowledge from themselves to their students. Our initial motivation to explore the usefulness of wikis for teaching and learning was driven by the fact that wikis provide a medium in which several individuals could asynchronously work together on an idea and easily capture the essence in a reusable format. We found that: (1) Wikis can be can be used for a variety of tasks ranging from signup sheet for students to self organize, to undertaking business analyses, to analyzing policy positions; (2) Instructor support and facilitation is key; and (3) Ease-of-use issues are present but do not preclude success

    The Management and Creation of Knowledge: Do Wikis Help?

    Get PDF
    Wikis are frequently cited in Higher Education research as appropriate and powerful web spaces which provide opportunities to capture, discuss, and review individual, group, project or organisational activities. These activities, in turn, offer possibilities for knowledge development by utilising wiki collaborative active spaces. The chapter uses selected case studies examples to illustrate the use of wikis to support online community based tasks, project development/process, collaborative materials development and various student and peer supported activities. A key focus of the chapter centres on evaluating the effectiveness (or otherwise) of wikis to create online communities to support knowledge management (development, retention and transfer). See Choy & Ng (2007), Lamb (2004), Elgort (2008), Raman et al. (2005). By way of contextualising the studies, a variety of uses of wikis in higher education are reviewed as part of this chapter. See, for example, Lamb, (2004) Choy, & Ng, (2007), Doolan, (2006) Jones P. (2007) Raman, et al. (2005) Grierson, et al.,, (2004). Creation of knowledge sentence + refs? The chapter concludes with a review of the emergent themes arising and lessons learned from the case studies. This leads into a series of recommendations relating to the effective establishment, design, management and support and use of wikis to support knowledge creation and collaborative enterprise
    • …
    corecore