Reading 4

Cole, M. (2009).Using Wiki technology to support student engagement: Lessons from the trenches. Computers & Education, 52(1), 141-146.


This paper reported a fail experiment of using Wiki technology to support student engagement. The author used Action research as her research method. Action research is " a cyclical process of reflective practice particularly suited to educational settings " and has been defined by Carr and Kemmis (1986) as "imply a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out” (p. 162).

The experiment changed the content of the modules into 6 thematic groups and used lectures and presentation slides to help students consider issues on the Wikis, as well as used seminars to include Wiki-based reflective activities. Students were told to post wiki materials which would be used to create one exam question. However, students posted zero posts to the wiki after the 5 week experiment. The findings revealed that students were only interested in the pre-set learning activities. The two thirds participants had visited the wiki but posted nothing on it. The reason of lack of wiki posts included: technical constraints (37%, difficulties with using the technology), time constraints (29%), lack of interest (20%), self-confidence (doubts about the quality of their contribution, 14%).

The suggestions and reflections provided from this paper:
1. instructional scaffolding is required. Students were reluctant to publish Web-based material for peer-group review.
2. Educational technology must support a balance between the the needs of lecturers and students, and between the cost (time for learning and using new technology ) and the benefits (engagements, interest and improved learning).
3. student motivation for using technolgies were linked to their perception of fun and individual browsing behavior. Students may actively post among friends but be little willing to engage with other students.
4. "technology needs to support a pre-existing educational behaviour rather than trying to import behaviour from other domains."
5. The design should make students feel social technologies are enjoyable ( fun-to-use) or intrinsically useful (fun-gained).

My thoughts:
1. let students rate wiki contributions for their peer and themselves. Rubric could be provided and rated on the basis of frequency, quality, novelty, etc.
2. Learning involves altruistic behaviors and people wish to make their individual efforts rewarded.
3.education should consider student's learning relevance.

Reference:
Carr and Kemmis, 1986 W. Carr and S. Kemmis, Becoming Critical: education, knowledge and action research, vch, Berlin (1986).