The introduction of technology into classrooms has brought about a number of innovations. One such innovation is the way in which technology has enabled more readily accessible opportunities for collaborative learning. Collaborative learning can be defined as being when students work in small groups towards achieving a common goal (Gokhale, 1995). Collaborative learning can be a very useful educational tool for students enabling them to learn not only from their teacher but also from their peers. As a student I was lucky enough to experience collaborative learning opportunities particularly in my studies in Drama at high school and I feel I benefited greatly from this. Technology has revolutionised the way in which teachers can bring collaborative learning into the classroom and thus may assist them in engaging a whole new generation of students.
Wikis, webpages that are created and maintained by a group, are one tool that may bring new enthusiasm to the concept of collaborative learning. Wikis and indeed any form of online publishing may encourage students to work harder on assessments and writing tasks as they have the perception of having an audience for their work as well as the fact that, for students, online writing does not connote the same notions of language, grammar, spelling etc. that in-school writing does (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Woolf, 2011). Wikis are also useful in that they allow the teacher to view what has been contributed by which students and what has been edited (Maloy et. al., 2011). This makes wikis a great option in terms of group assessment items, enabling teachers to allocate marks more fairly. Personally, I think the use of wikis is a wonderful new addition to the field of collaborative learning. Prior to their being used, however, I think it is important that teachers are educated in this technology. Once again, this means that resources should be allocated for professional development so that teachers can utilise this technology to its fullest advantage. It should also not be assumed that just because students may belong to the ‘digital natives’ generation that they know how to create and edit a wiki, thus some in-class education regarding the technology may also be required.
Collaborative learning provides an opportunity for students to not only learn social skills but also to learn from their peers’ experiences. As a high school student, I thoroughly enjoyed group work and generally felt as though I had learnt as much from my friends as I had from my teachers. It should be said, however, that naturally the initial excitement regarding collaborative learning and wikis may fade if they are used continuously for in-class and assessment purposes, thus, as with all technology, teachers should be sparing with their use. This should ensure that students remain engaged with the collaborative learning opportunities that come their way and remain willing to use this technology.
Here is a link to a wiki I created on Wikispaces for a Drama class about to commence an assignment on Shakespearean performances. This wiki is designed for students to share information that might be useful for their and other students’ assignments, to share exemplars that they can model their own responses off and also to practice their review writing style and receive feedback from their peers and teacher.
Provided teachers use their imaginations in regards to wikis, I see no reason why they cannot be used in many different subject areas and for many different kinds of classwork and assessment items.
Works Cited
Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2011). Transferring Learning with new technologies (MyEducation Kit). New Jersey: Person. (Chapter 8. Pages 206-239).
Gokhale, A. (1995). Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1). Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html
The man who wasn’t Shakespeare – Part 1 – Web Exclusive Article [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.signifiancemagazine.org/details/webexclusive/1234471/The-man-who-wasnt-Shakespeare--Part-1.html
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