10/07/2015

What is Wikis?

Wiki is a concept used in the Internet field to refer to web pages whose content can be e d i t e d b y m u l t i p l e u s e rs through any browser. These pages , therefore , is developed from the collaboration of users who can add, modify or delete information.

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who´s doing it?

The first wikis appeared i n t h e m i d -1 9 9 0 s . Scientists and engineers u s e d t h e m t o c re a t e d y n a m i c k n o w l e d g e b a s e s . Wi k i c o n t e n t contributed “on the fly” b y s u b j e c t -m a t t e r s p e c i a l i s t c o u l d b e immediately (and widely) viewed and commented o n . Ad a p t e d a s a n instructional technology i n t h e p a s t f e w ye a rs , wikis are being used for a w i d e v a r i e t y o f collaborative activities. In a d d i t i o n to c o m p i l i n g information, faculty and staff in higher education use wikis as repositories for meeting notes.

How does it work?

Technically, a wiki is a co m b i n a t i o n o f a C G I script and a collection of plain text files that allows users to create Web pages “on the fly.” All it takes is a connection to the Internet and a Web browser.

WIKIS

10/07/2015

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What are the downsides?

B e c a u s e u s e r s c a n modify the content of a wiki (add to, edit, delete materials), allowing such manipulation of the site’s information carries some risks.

A wiki is essentially a database created by a group rather than an individual. Structuring the initial content in such a database for easy and simple access can be a c h a l l e n g e — o n e t h a t faculty might not have encountered before. H o w o n e a c c e s s e s information on the wiki, n a v i g a t e s t h e s i t e , creates internal and e x t e r n a l l i n k s t o additional information, and so forth needs to be addressed early.

Why is it significant?

Wikis offer a powerful yet flexible collaborative communication tool for developing content-specific Web sites. Because wikis grow and evolve as a direct result of people adding material to the s i te , t h e y c a n a d d re s s a v a r i e t y o f pedagogical needs student involvement, group activities, and so on. Since wikis reside on the Internet, students can access and participate from any location, provided they have Internet access.

Questions to jp

Where do you look when you want information? I search general web sites about the topic i want.

How often do you use wikis? When i have to investigate about something.

In what ways is information online better than information in printed books? it is faster and you have more information.