Conclusions

1. A cross school pilot project to establish good practices for collaborative learning through the use of wikisMarija Cubric, Maria Banks, Jane Fletcher, John Hobson, Sheilla Luz, Karen Robins, Business School, University of Hertfordshire Introduction This pilot project builds on the work implemented by Cubric (2007) on using wikis as a platform for blended learning. It examines in more detail how wikis can be used: as a tool to support teaching large student groups, diverse subjects, different study levels and distributed locations. Two trials were set up in the University of Hertfordshire Business School during Jan 2007 – Jan 2008. They included two postgraduate and eight undergraduate modules from five different disciplines (marketing, accounting, economics, management sciences and information systems), with cohort numbers ranging from 21 to 182 students (UK and overseas-based).  The module tutors assumed different roles, such as: passive facilitator, active facilitator, or active reviewer. In the modules where students’ wiki work was assessed (6/10 modules) the assessment and feedback were based either on group-work (3/10 modules)  or individual contributions(3/10 modules). Evaluation of the collected data confirms, unsurprisingly, that students engage more with assessed activities. More importantly however, it indicates a strong correlation between student engagement and the quality and frequency of tutor’s feedback. • Needs • to ensure parity and transparency of the group work • to provide an additional way for students to engage with the module and for lecturers to formatively assess learning • to encourage students to develop a learning community, which could accommodate the needs of part-time and full-time students • to encourage the students to take a more active role in their learning • to foster the students learning autonomy • to help students with the exam revisions • to encourage students to read more widely and share their reading and learning with others • to support distance learning and initiate class discussions • to diversify assessment • yo increase students employability Figure 1 Learning activities supported by wikis, ordered according to levels in Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy • Impact* (*Students’ quotes below are un-edited) • "I think that the wikis made group work fairer because our tutor was able to assess how much work each member had done" • "it showed me a new way to work within groups and that although it was group work, we can all contribute without all having to be present at the same time" • “I think it is a good way to be able to share work with people on the same module. It’s useful to see the work done by other students as we are all learning the same subject and can learn from one another.” • “Wikis are useful to gather all relevant information for the course in one place”. • “The wiki assignments have allowed me to research to topic in question much more thoroughly and in a greater depth than simply revising for an exam.” • “The wiki assignments have allowed me to research to topic in question much more thoroughly and in a greater depth than simply revising for an exam.” • “Strongly suggest all modules had a similar set up”. Figure 3 Usability, Tutor support , Student satisfaction and Learning benefits across six (assessed) modules • Conclusions • Wikis offer a practical way of measuring group contribution and group functioning. Their visibility affords easier measurement with individual accountability. This in turn augments the students’ perception of the equity of the assessment of group work, enhancing participation and collaboration in a group setting. • Wikisprovide a virtual space for students to come together and learn from each other.  Students appreciate the transparency that a wiki offers in terms of being able to see the work of others and the associated feedback on that work. • Wikisare an excellent tool to develop the skill of collaborative writing. Graduates in their work place will benefit from this (transferable) skill increasingly, especially when working within geographically distributed teams and projects. • There are many less obvious benefits from getting students to use wikis, for example, being more confident in addressing new technology and developing skills for employability. In order to get the most out of using wikis as a form of collaborative learning, it is essential that the tutor continually interacts on the wiki site to clarify areas of confusion and direct student learning. Interested in a workshop or want to get more details? Email m.cubric@herts.ac.uk