TikiWiki in the Classroom

1
TikiWiki in the Classroom

• Using TikiWiki in MLIS Internet Design and
  Fundamentals

2
Who is Involved

• Aimee Houser - Instructional Technology
  Coordinator for the Masters of Library Science
  program at CSC
• Scott Krajewski - Assistant Director for
  Information Technology at Augsburg College
• 13 graduate students, 12 from MLIS, 1 from School
  Media

3
What is TikiWiki

• Content management system
• Groupware
• Combination of social softwares
• Wiki
• Blog
• RSS
• And more

4
Users view of our class TikiWiki
5
Class Goals

• Articulate a history of the internet - alternate
  ways of thinking about information organization
• Apply basic networking principles in the context
  of library internet connectivity
• Create web pages using XHTML and CSS
• Develop a web site from mock-up to testing to
  completion

6
Why an Online CMS?

• Collaboration outside of class
• Many students in MLIS work full-time jobs
• Computer literacy goals
• Ease workflow
• Availability of assignments through time

7
Online System Goals

• Embodies a definite pedagogical position -
• collaborative and independent work
• reflection
• ultimate goal gt metacognition
• A total, seamless learning environment
• Online system easy to use for students

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Why Not a C(ourse)MS?

• Collaboration? Active learning?

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Why Not a C(ourse)MS?

• Seamless learning environment?

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How We Used TikiWiki

• Access to syllabus, outlines, and readings or
  tutorials
• Give a computer proficiency self-assessment
• Assign regular blog entries (and commenting)
• Access to WebQuest and collaboration on the case
  study

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What We ExpectedStudents Would Feel

• TikiWiki was hard to use (some)
• Confusing at first for one third
• Blogging was a valuable learning tool (most)
• Yes, for two thirds
• Indifferent or negative towards the rest (most)
• No! Only one person could do without TikiWiki
• TikiWiki was essential to group work (most)
• No, true for only one third, though half of them
  strongly agreed

12
What We ExpectedStudents Would Feel

• Neutral about using TikiWiki in other classes
• No! 10 of 12 feel other classes would benefit
• No! two thirds wished it was used in other
  classes
• Favorably towards collaborating online again
• 5 out of 12
• Blackboard is easer to use/better at organization
• No! only one person preferred Bbs navigation
• Only one fourth thought organization was better

13
Conclusions about Survey

• Students found the organization, ease of use,
  convenience and blogging features very beneficial
• Students may have found online collaboration more
  beneficial if we had sustained it through the
  semester

14
Student Comments

• Although must of my answers were neutral, I am
  glad that I was exposed to tikiwiki. It was nice
  to be able to go into the blog space and write
  assignments directly into them. Otherwise, I see
  Blackboard a tool that works more for the
  professor than the student.

15
Student Comments

• Blackboard and tikiwiki seem about the same,
  although tikiwiki is a little more interactive.
• I thought it was swell!
• I didn't like that everyone was able to see
  everyone else's blog assignments, but it was a
  nice way to get feedback from the instructors and
  you didn't have to worry about paper copies, etc

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Drawbacks

• You need permission to operate a server or you
  need a web or network administrator willing to
  administer
• Is not scalable--every class must have a separate
  installation
• Learning curve is steep
• Documentation is inconsistent, but forums at
  http//tikiwiki.org/ are very helpful