What we've learned about Wikis

As the quarter winds down and the class 'Wiki as intranet' project is just about completed, here are some of the key findings and observations on the project and about Wiki use in the class.

1. If Wikis are new to your program, chances are 90% of the students will have never 'used' a Wiki, beyond reading entries on Wikipedia.

2. Even though Wikis are touted as simple, no-training-required tools, doing more that adding simple text will initially require demonstration and review for most non-technical students.

3. Wikis that make as simple as possible the steps for embedding video, slide shows, Flickr images, chat, and polls (love Zoho Polls for this), will be most effective in the classroom

4. For the best chances of adoption of the Wiki as the primary class communication platform, put everything on the Wiki.  Syllabus, course overview, assignments, presentations, and any 'sign-ups' should all be Wiki pages.  Encourage the class to post questions and comments everywhere.

5. Old habits are still hard to break, you may need to 'cross-post' for a time in both the Wiki and the old course management system.  Certain items like the gradebook still have to reside in the CMS. Try not to make the students have to bounce back and forth between the two platforms too often.

6. Keep the wiki alive even after the class ends.  There's lots of good information there.  Figure out a way to keep it accessible for students in the future.

I am absolutely convinced that Wikis are a much more effective tool for almost all class activities, with the added bonus of giving the students exposure and experience to a technology they will see in the workplace.