This document for UNSW Staff provides an introduction to wikis as well as basic instructions on how to get started, including where to request a new wiki, basic set-up and use, and key settings.

1. TELT Training: Wiki Fundamentals
Purpose
This document provides an introduction to wikis as well as basic instructions on how to get
started, including where to request a new wiki, basic set-up and use, and key settings.
What is a Wiki?
Wikis are collaborative websites that support shared-authoring of common pages by groups
or teams of people. Wikis frequently incorporate text editors comparable to simplified word
processors and track all site changes via page “histories”.
These histories record the identity or “IP address” of the person performing the edit, the date
and time it occurred, and the exact nature of the change. This allows for recovery of older
versions of page content as well as the option to completely revert to a previous date.
The wiki platform currently available for use at UNSW is known as Wikispaces - located at
http://unsw.wikispaces.net. Wikispaces is a commercially hosted service, designed for user-
friendly creation of pages featuring text, images, video, and small widgets, like calendars
and slideshows.
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2. Requesting a Wiki Site
New wiki sites can be requested through the IT Service Desk on extension 51333 or
emailing servicedesk@unsw.edu.au. When submitting your request be sure to include the
desired name/title of your wiki (such as the course name) and the URL prefix you wish to
use (such as the course code).
For instance ARTS1234 would appear http://arts1234.unsw.wikispaces.net.
Site Settings
As a starting point it’s advisable to give some thought to your site’s privacy settings. These
control how membership is acquired, whether login is required to view the wiki, and who may
edit the content.
To view or change the privacy settings, click on the Manage Wiki link in the UNSW Wiki
Tools area available just below the site’s thumbnail on the right-hand side of the page.
On the following page click on Permissions, which is found in the People row.
If you’re unable to access the Permissions area, confirm you are logged into the wiki. If you
still can’t access the area you don’t have sufficient privileges and should contact Service
Desk.
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3. More on Site Permissions
When on the Permissions page you should see 3 main sections:
● Wiki Permissions - Designates the default setting for page permissions; this can be
customised/altered at the page level;
● Invite-Only Membership - Designates whether you allow membership requests, or
require a wiki administrator to add/invite all members;
● Page Permissions - Overrules the settings in the Wiki Permissions area on a page-
by-page basis. New permissions can be added here or directly on the page. A table
of all unique rules is displayed.
Creating Pages
New wiki pages can be created in two different ways:
1. Through a link in the Wiki Tools menu; or
2. Linking to a non-existing page from an existing one;
Through Wiki Tools
When looking at the Wiki Tools menu on the left-hand side, you’ll see a listing for “Pages
and Files.” Immediately to the right of this is a plus sign (+).
To create a new page click on the plus, and you will see a pop-up window appear (see next
screenshot). Ensuring “New Page” is selected in the left column, assign the page a title.
You should see the title is incorporated into the page link automatically.
If desired you may also assign the page one or more tags. Tags are a useful means of
categorising your site content and particularly valuable if you anticipate the creation of many
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4. pages; as pages sharing the same tag can be quickly and collectively identified later.
Through a New Page Link in an Existing Article
New pages may also be created when editing existing page content. Begin by locating the
existing page and clicking the Edit Mode button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
When Edit Mode loads, locate the line in the page content where you want the link to appear
and then click on the Link Button in the toolbar.
In the following pop-up, click “Wiki Link” in the left column. In “Link Text,” add the wording
for how the link will be referenced in your current article (not the new one). Next, from the
Page Name drop down list, select “Enter a page name...”
You will then see a new Page Name text field appear. Enter the name for your new page
here. This name will also be used to create the page link.
If you intended to create a brand new page (rather than link to an existing one), be sure the
page name is listed in Red (as below). You should also see a symbol just to the right of the
name featuring a yellow triangle and exclamation point with a green plus sign on top.
Note: Wikispaces will attempt to locate existing content with your nominated Page Name, so
be sure to use a unique name if you want a new page.
When finished click Add Link, and you will see your new link added to the preview panel.
Click Save in the tool bar to finalise the changes.
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5. If you have added a link to a new page, you should see your new link listed in Red.
Locating Tagged Content Later
The option to locate all pages sharing a common tag is available in the Pages and Files area
in the Filter By options in the right hand column.
Page Histories
Every page retains a full record of each change made over the entire life of the document,
and features a comment option for specifying the nature of each change.
To access a page’s history, click the tool bar button that features the Clock.
The following page displays a table of the most recent page edits, along with details on the
time, Author, and revision comments. (The following example has had only one author;
most pages will feature a list of different usernames.) You may also use the Select buttons
to compare two different revisions.
Individual versions in the history can be examined by clicking on the timestamp. Page
versions include colour-coding to quickly identify what has changed from the previous
version, as well as options to revert to a previous version if desired.
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6. Wiki Statistics
In addition to page-based data found in Page Histories you are also able to locate
information on the activities of specific users. To begin, go into the Manage Wiki Area and
click on Member Statistics.
Once inside the area, the first thing you will see is high-level information on usage statistics
and unique visitors (page views). To access the statistics from a specific user, click on
Members.
The following page will display a table of Members, Edits, and Messages (forum posts). By
default, this will list the statistics from the current month only. To view the statistics
from a different time range, make a selection from the Date drop-down list and click Update.
To view more information on the edits of an individual, click on the number in the Edits
column, NOT their name (clicking on their name will load their user profile).
The table on the following page will display usage data from the time period specified on
the previous page. You can confirm this date range in the text fields just beneath Recent
Changes. The table is displayed in a collapsed format. To view a synopsis of each change,
click on the grey text in the version’s row. This displays the changes relative to nearby
content in the page.
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7. To view the version in full, click on “(view changes)” in the version row. This will take you to
a version identical to the one seen in the Page Histories section of this document.
Wiki Enrollment
Unlike centralised Learning Management Systems like Moodle and Blackboard, student
access to course wikis must be organised manually. This can either be via student request,
or more commonly by CSV/Spreadsheet upload.
While this is a process that can be undertaken by wiki administrators, it’s advisable to seek
assistance with this the first time you do.
Questions or Further Assistance
Questions or requests for training can be emailed to Mike Bogle at m.bogle@unsw.edu.au
Creative Commons-By-SA 3.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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