M2 Reading Response

Are Wikis Worth the Time?

Two responses debate this answer:

YES-Dean Shareski:

Wikipedia might be the best example of how teaching and learning is changing. Wikipedia is the encyclopedia created by you and me. Anyone can add to it, edit it, and even vandalize it. Wikipedia provides a place to contribute as well as consume. The obvious comparison is to printed encyclopedias. These are limited as a container of information.

NO-Carol Ann Winkler:

The free encyclopedia is no bargain for schools. Its content is the ongoing aggregate of a radical authorship policy: anyone at any time can write anything in Wikipedia. The result is a cheap imitation of a scholarly traditional resource. There is no deterrent to publishing bad information. And so by intentional design, the information in Wikipedia is never authoritative.

When using Wikipedia, teachers will need to decide how they use website in the research process. If they allow students to include them in their citations is still up for debate. Time needs to be spent showing student how to deconstruct articles and understand the process of their creation. Nevertheless, students can use Wikipedia to get their ideas about information, then search a legitimate website for accurate information.   Wikipedia proponents think most readers are willing to compare its information with what they already know and will rewrite articles to re­store quality. Young students do not have a knowledge base for such com­parison.

Proponents also argue that students should never accept just one source of information anyway. ­­The Internet versions of scholarly traditional encyclopedia provide the online access, the hyperlinking, the keyword searching, and the continual updating. Students experience free online access to this reliable information after a simple login process. But that’s only if schools show the wisdom of investing in their libraries so they can provide the resources students need.

Winkler, C (2005). Are Wikis Worth the Time? International Society for Technology in Education. 6-7.