Wikis in Plain English

what is wikis?

'Wiki'
is one of the most prevalent buzzwords on the Internet, right up there with
'cloud computing' and 'responsive design. This term
"wiki" actually means quick in Hawaiian. The journey from that definition to today's
definition of "a website that allows collaborative editing of its
content and structure by its users" is quite the interesting story,best told by Ward
Cunningham, the father of the modern wiki. The important part of
wikis—what makes them different from any other type of website—is collaborative editing
by the users. Think about that for a moment: the ability for the users of a
wiki to collaboratively edit it. If you can read it, you can edit it. It seems
simple at first, yet profoundly powerful in practice—and it is what both
Wikipedia and WikiLeaks have in common.

Purpose of wikis:

Wikis can serve multiple purposes. Below are some purposes
relevant to education as examples for what wikis have been used in the past:

·                    
Glossary / Encyclopedia

The best example is Wikipedia: each
term has a wiki page with explanations (or translations, definitions, etc.).

·                    
Collaborative Document Editing

Multiple authors contribute to a single document

·                    
Peer Review

Students comment on each others' work (or the tutor comments on student-created
work)

·                    
Brainstorming

A quick way of recording thoughts and links between ideas.

·                    
Shared Resource Site

Files or web links are attached to wiki pages, and someone takes responsibility
to create a categorisation system.

·                    
Data Collection

As wikis are easy to edit and never lose content, they can be used as a tool to
collect data.

·                    
Group Projects

Each group can create their own project site and use the wiki to keep a
complete history of the project, including internal project management and
communication.

·                    
Progress Tracking

Because of the simple editing system, a wiki can be used as a simple tool to
record all aspects of a project for viewers to track the progress.

·                    
Presentation

As with any website, a wiki can be used as a presentation tool.

·                    
Simplistic Portfolio

Individuals or groups can create a portfolio of their work by using a wiki.

·                    
Storyboard Development

As all wiki pages can be linked, it is possible to create both linear and
non-linear 'stories' in a wiki.

As you can see, a wiki can serve a multitude of
purposes. Wikis are essentially mere vehicles that allow anybody to create
content online. It is up to the creativity of the tutor to design sensible
tasks that make wikis meaningful

Web 2.0

This video talks about the technology which
helps students as well as teachers to acquire language easily. In this video
Brian Stanley an english teacher  talks about his particular interest in
technology hich is helpful for the 21st century learner.

 He particularly gives reference about tool
web 2.0 he is particularly  interested in technology which deals with the
quick look of the existing virtual world of second life with promising
possibilities which posing educational activities with full of technologies
such as:

·                    
Blogs

·                    
Wikis

·                    
Wikipedia

·                    
Videos

Blogs:

 It is an www a distinct feature and also different type of
tool. It is used by language teacher for publishing student WORK
ONLINE and they can also put eyes on what is happening in the
classroom, giving homework and also gives link to the interested  and
relevant group of students.It is the most basic way to empowering the students.
It makes easy to interact from any part of world for students.

By using blogs we can create a small community for language
learning.

·                    
Wikis:

           Wikis is the basic type
of website .In Wikis content is given important not design. We can make our
page in wikis which can be edited to add and delete improper thing. It has a
vision to function. Wikis is used by the teacher for making classroom project,
online classroom web page can be easily changed by the teacher. They can
collobrate the students all around the world.

·                    
Wikipedia:

 It is like wikis.

·                    
Podcast:

            Podcast helps students
to connect around the world using voice as well as different resources to
listen. It appeals to "digital natives".(Prensky,2001.).

 Students of today and future use this. Digital immigrants
may think book or telephone tools  or vital for getting information or to
communicate with people.

 Podcast is used for audio and video file whatever you
want, and it is used for downloading and listening wherever and whenever you
want. you can keep language lesson with you. you can listen it in lunch hour
using mp3 player as many time as you want.Teacher start producing podcast for
student and also to share, and opening of the classroom to the wider world.

 They take great care of the work they produce. Lot of
directories, where you can make student available to the world and also getting
contact with light minded teacher, running podcasting project, community
practise online best placing to getting touch with podcasting classes.

To sum up we can say that this E-learning gives us platform to
student as well as teacher for learning and creating tools for educational
purposes for language learning. This is especially useful for distant learning
students.  

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