Wikis for Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Construction

**ATTENTION**

This weeks assignment will be a collaborative effort using the Wiki with your previously assigned groups.  Some of you may be familiar with what a Wiki is and I know some of you have no idea what a Wiki is.  A Wiki is in essense a web site that members can edit, modify, add to and take away while all using the same document.  The end product will be the result of each group members input.  It would be wise to visit the following sites to get a better understanding of the Wiki prior to completing the assignment posted below.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me at the number and e-mail I provided on the course syllibus.

www.wikipedia.org

www.wikiversity.org

Watch this short video to help you understand the purpose and use of the Wiki.

Now that you are a Wiki Expert...(wink wink) complete the following assignment with the other members of your group

Lesson - Contractor Quality Control

 

Learning Goal: To become familiar with and apply the principles of quality management for Army Corps of Engineer military construction projects.Target Audience: Construction professionals actively engaged in Quality Control.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to define Quality as it relates to Army construction.
• Students will be able to develop a Quality Control Plan
• Students will be able to demonstrate each phase of the 3-Phase Control System

Instructional Materials:

• Quality Control Specifications
• EP 715-1-2 February 1990
• Example Quality Control Plan
• Power Point Slideshow

Readings

• Army Manual EP 715-1-2 February 1990
• CQM Slideshow

Learning Activities

• Write a short narrative describing your understand of the Army's Quality Control System and the responsibilities of each member of the QC staff.
• Prepare a Quality Control Plan in accordance with the specifications and post it to the Wiki.
• Using audio or video, conduct a mock up of each phase of the 3-Phase Control system.

Evaluation Criteria

• Excellent - Demonstrate a thorough understanding and application of ALL construction quality principles as outlined in the readings.
• Meets Expectations -  Demonstrate a general knowledge of construction quality principles as outlined in the readings.
• Unsatisfactory - Unable to demonstrate the construction quality principles as outlined in the readings.

Wiki's: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

As we have discussed so far in this class, technology is influencing every aspect of our lives.  In my previous blog post I wrote about the pros and cons of integrating and using blogs in the adult education setting.  This week I will take a look at the pros and cons of Wiki's for adult learners.

A relatively old technology (10 yrs.) wiki's are becoming more widely used in education as a collaborative tool since they allow many users to access, edit and contribute in one location.

The pros of the wiki:

• They are collaborative and community building (King & Cox, pg. 124) which means they allow for groups of people with like passions and subject interests to meet and explore ideas together.  It's not just a web page or a blog that provides a one sided view of information
• Group assignments are more thorough by allowing the entire group to work on the same document.  It also can track who has contributed which material that aids the instructor to grade student participation.
• It provides the students with the ability to create knowledge as opposed to just consume knowledge as from a blog or web site.
• A wiki reflects the personality and views of an entire group.  The input from others brings breadth and depth to the overall document due to the groups various backgrounds and experiences.

The cons of the wiki:

• I was personally involved in a research project and was required to use a wiki.  No instructions were given or understanding provided as to what a wiki was.  I never really became comfortable using it.  A major con is that adult learners may be apprehensive to use a wiki due to their misunderstanding of its use and ability.
• Since wiki's are open source and anyone can edit your document, there is a concern for the lack of accuracy or malicious modifications being made.
• King & Cox also mentioned the members of the wiki's fears of the hidden audience. (King & Cox, pg. 123)  There is a fear of opening up their creativity when "visitors" to the wiki can visit the site without ever revealing their identity.  However, this can be eliminated by requiring password only access to the wiki.
• I mentioned that the wiki taking on the views of the entire group as a pro but I also mention it here as a con because once the wiki has taken on the bias of the group it is nearly impossible to return to the original intent of the wiki creator.

As with anything, there is a purpose and place for wiki's in adult education.  They don't have the ability to completely replace all other forms of instruction but they are great tool that can help students collaborate and work closer together beyond the 4 walls of a traditional classroom.

References:

King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The Professor’s Guide to TamingTechnology.

        Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Blogging: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

As with any technology, there are good and bad things associated with them.  Blogging is no exception.  A blog is actually a web log.  It is a completely online location in which you have the ability to write anything you want including pictures, an article, a poem, personal thoughts, technical writings or even a video.  It is a blank slate that you control.  This can be a very good thing that can promote creativity.  You can pose a question or post a response to well thought out research.  In Adult Education, a blog can be a place that opinions can be shared beyond the classroom.  The learning doesn’t stop when the class period is over.

Along with the positive comes the negative.  Contrary to a discussion board, it is difficult to hold a conversation with other people.  A discussion board can be an almost instantaneous exchange of messages.  Blogs are also hosted on the internet in which the whole world literally has access to it.  There is a lack of privacy which can inhibit some students from truly expressing themselves as they would otherwise.

If used properly, incorporating the use of blogs into the adult education setting could extend the classroom beyond the theoretical “box” and allow a continuance of ideas to be expressed.  When students know they have a broader audience than their teacher there is a tendency to put more into their writings.  There is a feeling of ownership that helps a student’s creativity as well.

Blogs cannot replace the classroom but definitely can and should have their place in the Adult Learning Environment.