The wiki way of learning

Abstract

This paper presents the argument that the use of wikis in a learning environment involves a different way of thinking, learning and knowing than perhaps many practitioners are familiar with. In particular, wikis foster collaborative, egalitarian learning that is designed to foster group interaction instead of just individual performance. Moreover, wiki based learning involves community ideals and challenging modes of interaction for both learners and instructors. The paper begins by summarising the wiki way of learning. It presents a recent study conducted in a classroom environment into how students conceptualised wiki use and uses a case study of a course in mobile workforce technologies to present the basis for a wiki pedagogy. The paper concludes with a discussion on the both the practical and theoretical implications of using wikis in a tertiary education environment.