The Good, the Bad, and the Wiki: Teaching Information Literacy and Encouraging Life-Long Learning with Wikis

Type of Presentation

Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)

Target Audience

Higher Education

Location

Room 211

Abstract

Some have observed that the social Internet makes writers out of readers; if so, wikis make writers, editors, collaborators, and even authorities out of readers. This presentation will argue that wikis are pedagogically useful in the teaching of information literacy because they provide students the opportunity to think critically about the authority and quality of sources, as well as allowing them to realize their own ability to become authority on the subjects of their writing. A survey of recent scholarship on the pedagogical usefulness of wikis and their relationship to learning objectives related to information literacy reveals how wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies are being leveraged by instructors to create effective assignments that also have clear real-world applications for college students. Studies surveyed addressed student populations ranging from freshman composition to senior level course, mainly in courses that emphasized writing and research in the humanities. This presentation ultimately argues that banning the use of sources such as Wikipedia outright deprives students of the ability to reason through the appropriateness and strength of evidence, thereby missing out on an important learning opportunity related to information literacy. Moreover, having students complete assignments on wikis, or even Wikipedia, provides a live audience for students and can lead them to take more ownership of their learning. This presentation will also present the author’s experiences and challenges using wikis in the classroom and what he has learned from it, focusing especially on the problem and challenges of assessment and grading.

Presentation Description

Some have observed that the social Internet makes writers out of readers; if so, wikis make writers, editors, collaborators, and even authorities out of readers. Drawing on recent studies and the presenter's experience, this presentation will argue that wikis are pedagogically useful in the teaching of information literacy because they provide students the opportunity to think critically about the authority and quality of sources, as well as allowing them to realize their own ability to become authority on the subjects of their writing.

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

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Sep 26th, 9:45 AM Sep 26th, 11:00 AM

The Good, the Bad, and the Wiki: Teaching Information Literacy and Encouraging Life-Long Learning with Wikis

Room 211

Some have observed that the social Internet makes writers out of readers; if so, wikis make writers, editors, collaborators, and even authorities out of readers. This presentation will argue that wikis are pedagogically useful in the teaching of information literacy because they provide students the opportunity to think critically about the authority and quality of sources, as well as allowing them to realize their own ability to become authority on the subjects of their writing. A survey of recent scholarship on the pedagogical usefulness of wikis and their relationship to learning objectives related to information literacy reveals how wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies are being leveraged by instructors to create effective assignments that also have clear real-world applications for college students. Studies surveyed addressed student populations ranging from freshman composition to senior level course, mainly in courses that emphasized writing and research in the humanities. This presentation ultimately argues that banning the use of sources such as Wikipedia outright deprives students of the ability to reason through the appropriateness and strength of evidence, thereby missing out on an important learning opportunity related to information literacy. Moreover, having students complete assignments on wikis, or even Wikipedia, provides a live audience for students and can lead them to take more ownership of their learning. This presentation will also present the author’s experiences and challenges using wikis in the classroom and what he has learned from it, focusing especially on the problem and challenges of assessment and grading.