This week we had the opportunity to engage in the collaborative mobile phones wiki. At first I was a little apprehensive about the collaborative online work, as I have become use to internal courses over the past year. This was also due to not having participated in an online wiki before. However, once I investigated the approach some of my peers had taken, I felt that I was on the correct pathway. I was placated after becoming involved in the introductory forum. This was when I became aware that other students were also experiencing the same difficulties and self-doubts.
The wiki was well scaffolded by the use of the De Bono Thinking Hats. This enabled everyone to think about the one topic focussing on six different 'perspectives'. By incorporating the De Bono's Thinking Hats into the wiki it allowed for higher order thinking (analysing, evaluating and creating) to take place. The six thinking hats are a simple and effective tool that could be used in the classroom as the students are provided with direction and a structure to follow.
This wiki activity encouraged collaboration and therefore the main learning theory that was utilised throughout was constructivism. To be more explicit I found social constructivism was the main focus within the mobile phones wiki. Constructivism enables learning to take place through social interaction. This type of learning is based on “social interactions within a learning community or expert community” (CQUniversity, 2011, p. 8). The wiki allowed us to communicate our ideas and thoughts online, were as in a tutorial perhaps this discussion may have been verbal. At first I found this approach challenging as I have never experienced this type of learning. Constructivism has a large influence on collaborative learning as it caters for different views on a particular topic. When reflecting on my experience with the wiki I have realised the importance of everyone’s involvement.
The positives that I found when using the wiki site to complete the activity was that all the information is stored in one place and therefore can be referred to and edited. Another advantage of a wiki is that it enables the students to become knowledgeable in a particular area. Using a wiki within a classroom setting is an advantage as it allows for each student to be responsible for their own learning. Students can also consider the different perspectives of others and learn from their peers (peer teaching).
The minuses for using a wiki space were that some students require an auditory style of learning. With the use of wikis within the classroom it may not be suitable for all learners. I found it challenging to understand what exactly was required. Although the wiki was well scaffolded I found it useful to actively communicate with other students who are taking this course on my campus.
There were a number of interesting facts about a wiki space. As wikis are an online tool it enables the students to access the space at any time. In a classroom setting the learning manager often requires to send notices about upcoming events or supplies that are needed to the parents. Wikis could be an alternative tool to use instead of email or communication books. By using a wiki it will be less time consuming for the learning manager.
I have come to believe that there is little difference working online at home than working in a room with a tutor standing at the front and peers seated around you. I enjoyed engaging in the wiki and discovering new perspectives on a particular issue. The use of the scaffolding strategy was effective and I believe it is a useful tool that should be adopted in all classrooms. By scaffolding the learning journey it provides the students with clear directions and establishes a guided approach to learning. If there were no directions given, the wiki would not be as effective. Some students may have gone off on a tangent when responding to the question. The De Bono Thinking Hats is a scaffolding tool that can be applied to any problem.
References
CQUniversity. (2011). Learning theory and e-learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/file.php/17114/Week1.pdf
MindWerx International. (2011). Six thinking hats. Retrieved from http://www.mindwerx.com/mind-tools/5970/six-thinking-hats
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