Reflecting on the educational value of Wikis / Nings as virtual K-12 learning spaces
- How can Web 2.0 assist in improving learning outcomes for all students?
- Motivation: the technology is fun to use, students are more motivated using computers as opposed to writing in books.
- Deeper learning: students can if given choice can delve deeper into a topic. This could encourage students to become life-long learners.
- Speed: knowledge can be obtained quickly and tested in interesting ways. Graham Glass spoke about an app which teaches Cartesian coordinate geometry using the context of a pirate finding treasure - students are rewarded in (virtual) gold coins for learning more about the history, maths, etc in the game.
- Modular Learning: students can learn at own pace.
Bad Points
- Lack of Time: teachers need to create new resources. At the moment teachers are too time poor to do this with the increasing demands placed on them.
- Training: some teachers will never embrace technology due to fear and lack of control.
- Fear: There is also a fear amongst some teachers that their power is taken away from them if students learn without them.
- Money: governments and systems need to employ people to create these new resources - there is no time for teachers to write new resources from scratch.
Interesting thoughts on wikis and Nings.
- Teachers can collaborate and build networks to teach and share their work. see the wiki that the Gary Carey, myself and Galen Neubronner produced about Databases in Science.
ictinscience.wikispaces.com
- Students have an audience for their work and thus take more pride.
- Good for differentiating the curriculum.
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