ERIC Number: EJ1178245
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1925-7147
EISSN: N/A
Wiki'd Transgressions: Scaffolding Still Necessary to Support Online Collaborative Learning
DiPasquale, Joshua
Canadian Journal of Action Research, v18 n3 p47-61 2017
This paper is a reflection of my own individualistic participation in the EDUC 5001G: Principles of Learning (PoL) class wiki assignment. Specifically, I investigate the need for increased scaffolding strategies to facilitate direct collaboration among its participants. In order to do this, I first conducted a preliminary examination of the efficacy and suitability of wikis as tools for knowledge construction as well as some of the strategies that have been documented in their implementations. The examination revealed that although wikis have proven to be expedient tools to foster collaborative knowledge construction, the social aspects of the activity need to be reinforced in formal learning environments. Accordingly, an analysis of my own and other students' behaviour, in different documented cases of wiki application, indicated that predispositions to work independently may be aggravating factors inhibiting the natural occurrence of collaborative events. Finally, my conclusions reiterated the critical role of the facilitator in scaffolding collaborative behaviour to overcome students' inclinations to complete wiki assignments autonomously. Examples of scaffolding strategies discussed include: structuring wiki activities according to relevant theoretical frameworks, encouraging students to use existing avenues for communication and providing alternatives, and assigning students to specific and differentiated roles. This paper contributes to existing literature which has emphasized the need for an established framework to guide effective wiki implementation in formal education settings.
Descriptors: Collaborative Writing, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Assignments, Cooperation, Cooperative Learning, Web Sites, Editing, Teacher Role, Web 2.0 Technologies, Teaching Methods
Canadian Association for Action Research in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON KIN 7E4, Canada. Tel: 705-474-3450; Fax: 705-474-1947; e-mail: cjar@nipissingu.ca; Web site: http://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/issue/archive
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A