March+ISTE+Research+Paper+Summary

Collaborative Learning the Wiki Way Kathryn I. Matthew The research was to explore the motivational factors that contributed to students reading assigned materials and seeking additional resources to learn more about the course content. Wikis allow for students to participate in collaborative learning and creativity. Since students learn more if they think critically and reflect rather than just to accumulate knowledge, giving students a technology tool such as a wiki will provide them with the opportunity to use higher levels of thinking. This study was composed of pre-service teachers who were required to contribute to a class wiki. “Their task was to create content based on the course materials with the implied goal of going beyond the content provided to them and to make connections between other courses, new materials, and personal experiences.” The results of this study showed that contributing to the class wiki resulted in meaningful learning for the students and impacted their self-efficacy. Students reported learning the material better because of the constant reading and rereading of the material posted on the wiki. They reported that they enjoyed the freedom to be creative and to collaborate with classmates, and that they valued these assignments. They referred to resources as they read and responded to wiki postings. “Preservice teachers who successfully use technology in their university classes are likely to develop the self-efficacy they need to integrate technology in their own classrooms.”