Use of Synchronous Collaborative Wikis in an Online Learning Environment

Use of Synchronous Collaborative Wikis in an Online Learning Environment
Let’s collaborate - http://tinyurl.com/typewithdavid
David Wicks, Arthur Ellis, & Andrew Lumpe
Seattle Pacific University

Abstract
In this study, synchronous collaborative (super) wikis were used in a graduate level course for K-12 educators. Collaborative teams using synchronous wikis developed high levels of expertise and perceptions of mutual shared cognition.

Goal of Education:Develop Expertise

Shared cognition

Challenges with Asynchronous-only Collaboration
Momentum
Accountability
Cooperation rather than collaboration

What could synchronous add?
Focused communication
Quicker conflict resolution
Joint concept development
Higher level of trust

hypothesis
The primary hypothesis for this study was that online graduate students who use synchronous collaborative (super) wikis for small group work would perceive a higher level of mutually shared cognition and demonstrate higher levels of expertise than students in a comparison group who did not collaborate synchronously.

Research goals
The research goals included the following:
Describe the application of synchronous wikis in a collaborative learning environment.
Report the results on student perceptions of mutual shared cognition and the development of content expertise.
Provide recommendations for future research and applications of synchronous collaborative wikis in online environments.

Why this study?
Use of wikis for group projects becoming ubiquitous
Students ask for synchronous tools
Number of tasks needing immediate input

Description

Private preformatted wikis

Collaborative script and screencast
Collaborative script explains project and team organizationhttp://tinyurl.com/collab-script
Screencast explains how to use the wiki (Learning Objects Teams LX) to collaborate on this project.
This scaffolding strategy, (Larusson & Altermann, 2009) was used to help students feel comfortable with the project’s technology and procedures so they could give their attention to the contents and deliverables of the project.

Phases
Phase 1: Team charter
Phase 2: Collaborative essay on- Why teach? What are qualities of a good teacher?
Phase 3: Collaborative essay on- What do students really need? What does a good classroom look and feel like?
Phase 4: Collaborative essay on- What is truly meaningful in student learning? How does a classroom become a place of reflective practice?
Phase 5: Final Product and team reflection

“Super wiki” = EtherPad
http://etherpad.org
http://typewith.me

Private Journal

Workflow – Individual (Weekly)

Workflow – Group (Bi-Weekly)

What are we seeing so far with students?
Collaborative construction of knowledge while working asynchronously in small groups.
Having a positive experience with collaborative learning.
In the past, students report having a negative experience with collaborative learning because of trouble with social loafers.
The use of wikis creates a democratic learning environment where all learners have an equal voice.
History statistics may be encouraging positive interdependence as students see that others are working to help them and they should work to help others.
Double loop learning – Students report that they are not only learning the content, but also how technology can be used as a tool for teaching and learning. They often say they will be using wikis with their students.

Example of Group Cognition
In our opinion our products all turned out very well! The process for all of them went well too. We did a good job getting organized and all putting our fair share of work and effort into each product. The process of this project was dependent on both our individual thoughts and our ability to collaborate to create a product. The essays contained individual thoughts from each of us. They and the final presentation would not have been as thorough if only one of us had contributed to the project. In addition, the group had exceptional ideas and were able to articulate them. There was also mutual respect for each others’ opinions which resulted in a comprehensive product.

Example of Expertise & GC
PowerPoint showing chat students had while working on their final presentation in EtherPad. (Names have been changed.)

Student-recommendations
Better understanding of what "deliverables" are
How to use the Time Slider on our Typewith.Mechats
Better understanding of some of the APA guidelines
[Final Presentation] SO many ideas and so much information we wanted to share for each slide … extremely difficult to pick and choose what information to include.

Lots of work left to do 

Comments or Questions?
David Wicks
Director, Instructional Technology
Seattle Pacific University
dwicks@spu.edu
twitter: dwicksspu
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

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Use of Synchronous Collaborative Wikis in an Online Learning Environment

by David Wicks on Nov 05, 2010

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Use of Synchronous Collaborative Wikis in an Online Learning Environment — Presentation Transcript