Why A Wiki?

As far as the end-user is concerned, the difference between a wiki and a blog is that in a blog, each post by a contributor is kept separate.  Access could be set so multiple users could edit a post, but there is no mechanism for tracking the changes.

In a wiki each collabotator is tracked as to what is modified.  Difference and comparisons in versions can easily be inspected with the final product being a single document.

There are several disciplines requiring student collaboration where a wiki could be seamlessly integrated into a course.  The first is the lab sciences.  There students work as teams and often produce one laboratory report.  The wiki a natural medium for the collaborative report.  The instructor could easily identify the student contributions, which student is taking the lead in editing and such.

The second area is in computer courses.  A wiki is a perfect tool where software engineering can be implemented.  Several student programmers could use a wiki to implement a program far greater than any one student could.  For years, I have taught such courses and implement software engineering protocols.  In the spring of 07, I plan on using a wiki to develop code in two classes, CMP 220: Analysis of Computer Archetecture and Software  and CMP 217: The C Programming Language so stay tuned.

 

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is a collaborative website that allows multiple contributors and/or visitors to add, delete and edit content on a particular webpage quickly and easily.  Generally, no coding or HTML knowledge is necessary. Named after the wiki wiki bus in Honolulu, the term means quick in Hawaiian.  Features include  an edit tab, a discussion tab, and history of changes tab.  Businesses and organizations employ wikis to disseminate information and work collaboratively. In academic settings,  departments and committees use the technology to develop reports,  write policy statements and author curriculum material.  Students work on team projects, create lab reports and develop research assignments.

There are two basic ways to get started with a wiki. You can use a web-based wiki farm that hosts your wiki on its server, or you can download wiki software to your own server.  The first is simple but does not have a great deal of flexibility, while the second offers more customization but requires a higher level of expertise.  Check out  the examples below, some of which are  free, some fee-based, and some  free but with a premium version.

Web Hosted Wiki Farms

http://pbwiki.com
http://wikia.com
http://www.wetpaint.com
http://www.seedwiki.com

Wiki Software 
http://twiki.org
http://tikiwiki.org
http://www.pmwiki.org