Blogs and Wikis at Wesleyan What are they? How can I use them?

Outline What is a blog? What is a wiki? Wesleyan specific blogs and wikis How to get a blog or wiki What can I do with a blog or wiki?

What is a blog? What is a wiki?

Wesleyan specific blogs and wikis

How to get a blog or wiki

What can I do with a blog or wiki?

What is a blog? “Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries…. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog March 2, 2008

“Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries…. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

March 2, 2008

For example: roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu

What is a wiki? Think Wikipedia “A wiki is software that allows users to create, edit, and link web pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki March 2, 2008

Think Wikipedia

“A wiki is software that allows users to create, edit, and link web pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

March 2, 2008

Technology or Genre? Both blogs and wikis are web-based applications that allow users to create, edit, and organize content in a database. There is a tendency to think of “blogs” in particular as a genre, not entirely without reason. Blogs as a technology are underexploited because of that association.

Both blogs and wikis are web-based applications that allow users to create, edit, and organize content in a database.

There is a tendency to think of “blogs” in particular as a genre, not entirely without reason. Blogs as a technology are underexploited because of that association.

Advantages of being web-based Minimal software requirements You can edit your content from anywhere Centralization facilitates collaboration Browser-based tools work well across platforms

Minimal software requirements

You can edit your content from anywhere

Centralization facilitates collaboration

Browser-based tools work well across platforms

Advantages of databases Content can be reorganized for different purposes Separation of content and presentation

Content can be reorganized for different purposes

Separation of content and presentation

Content versus Presentation

Blogs, wikis, what’s the difference? Information architecture! Blogs typically foreground longitudinal development Wikis lend themselves to cross-sectional view of relationships at a given point in time

Information architecture!

Blogs typically foreground longitudinal development

Wikis lend themselves to cross-sectional view of relationships at a given point in time

Complications Both blogs and wikis have various means to allow alternatives to the primary organization. Some blogs have “pages” as well as “posts” Wikis often include “versioning” and links to whatever content has most recently been added.

Both blogs and wikis have various means to allow alternatives to the primary organization.

Some blogs have “pages” as well as “posts”

Wikis often include “versioning” and links to whatever content has most recently been added.

Presentation Wikis often (not always, but often!) look like documentation. They tend to be rather utilitarian. Blogs often allow users to customize many features of the style and layout

Wikis often (not always, but often!) look like documentation. They tend to be rather utilitarian.

Blogs often allow users to customize many features of the style and layout

From our Confluence wiki

A customized WordPress blog

Wesleyan Blogs and Wikis Confluence (wiki) WordPress (blogs) Blackboard blogs and wikis [Of course there are also a number of free blog hosting services one might use (e.g. blogger.com ). ITS does not officially support any of these, but neither do we contest their existence or utility.  ]

Confluence (wiki)

WordPress (blogs)

Blackboard blogs and wikis

[Of course there are also a number of free blog hosting services one might use (e.g. blogger.com ). ITS does not officially support any of these, but neither do we contest their existence or utility.  ]

BlackBoard Wiki

How do I get a Blackboard blog/wiki? Every Blackboard includes a blog tool and a wiki tool. You can ask your (an) ACM for help setting one up.

Every Blackboard includes a blog tool and a wiki tool. You can ask your (an) ACM for help setting one up.

How do I get an independent blog or wiki? There is a button to initiate a request in your employee portfolio.

There is a button to initiate a request in your employee portfolio.

What can I do with a blog/wiki? Administration Enhanced pedagogy Promotion Scholarly communication…

Administration

Enhanced pedagogy

Promotion

Scholarly communication…

Administrative uses Sign up sheets Meeting agendas/minutes Bulletin board “Mailing” list Documentation (policies, etc.)

Sign up sheets

Meeting agendas/minutes

Bulletin board

“Mailing” list

Documentation (policies, etc.)

Enhance your pedagogy Collaboration Group projects Rich media Process as well as product Beyond the classroom, beyond the semester

Collaboration

Group projects

Rich media

Process as well as product

Beyond the classroom, beyond the semester

Case 1: Sarah Wiliarty’s “Country Pages”

Why a country pages wiki? Balance the theoretical with the empirical Balance group depth with class breadth Solve many logistics of group collaboration Emphasize process as well as product

Balance the theoretical with the empirical

Balance group depth with class breadth

Solve many logistics of group collaboration

Emphasize process as well as product

Results It was a smash! Transformed class discussions: Put students in role of expert Students learned from each other Helped students prepare for exams Helped students write their papers Students value the mobility of web projects Garnered many positive evaluations

It was a smash!

Transformed class discussions: Put students in role of expert

Students learned from each other

Helped students prepare for exams

Helped students write their papers

Students value the mobility of web projects

Garnered many positive evaluations

The instructor says… “The theoretical material for the course was very challenging. Students were able to grasp it more easily because they could constantly evaluate it against their own empirical knowledge. The course was more successful because of the group projects, and the group projects would not have been feasible without the wiki structure.”

“The theoretical material for the course was very challenging. Students were able to grasp it more easily because they could constantly evaluate it against their own empirical knowledge. The course was more successful because of the group projects, and the group projects would not have been feasible without the wiki structure.”

Case 2: Eyal Rabinovitch’s “Topics in Gentrification”

Case 3: Jamie Cohen-Cole’s “coldwarblog”

Promotional uses Individual professional pages Announce events, publications, etc.

Individual professional pages

Announce events, publications, etc.

A customized WordPress theme

Scholarly Communication Blogs in particular allow for a new kind of critical (hyper-)textual analysis Text and comments (potentially from multiple readers) can be interwoven so that the multiple strands of a discourse are brought into a coherent unity

Blogs in particular allow for a new kind of critical (hyper-)textual analysis

Text and comments (potentially from multiple readers) can be interwoven so that the multiple strands of a discourse are brought into a coherent unity

Case 4: CommentPress