I find Wiki's to be fascinating. I originally felt as many do, that Wiki's are not reliable sources of information. The most well-known Wiki--Wikipedia--was my first exposure. I was very leary of using or citing information obtained from this site because God only knows who has been editing, or worse, sabotaging the information. With experience and knowledge, I have learned that much of the information posted is quite reliable and there are often a variety of resources cited to cross-check facts. As noted in our conference of this past week, in some cases unreliable information stayed posted for quite awhile, while other information was quickly corrected. I think this speaks more to the subject. How many people are searching Wikipedia for info on a specific relatively unknown person? Probably not many, therefore the information remains in obscurity until somebody discovers it and removes it. On the other hand, subjects that are searched regularly are quickly corrected. In some cases, very popular information is actually locked from editing unless you are a registered, verified editor. So, I do use Wikipedia on a regular basis both for myself and with my students. We often talk about reliability and cross-checking, but for the most part I am confident that the information my students find on Wikipedia will provide a solid foundation in facts, and a reliable list of resources to continue their research. I do not allow Wikipedia, or any other source for that matter, to be the sole resource used as the basis for reporting on a topic.
Of course, Wiki's can also be useful for collaborative research. In WebTycho we have a Collaborative Document in which to post our group work. In essence this is a Wiki. Each group member has the ability to add, delete, or alter information. When completing research as a group, it is helpful to post resources in the collaborative doc section in order to create a bibliography or works cited list. This avoids duplication of resources, allows each group member to properly alphabetize the list, and simplifies the work for the editor. If you still have questions, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY
2 comments:
I often find myself using Wikipedia just to get some genreal information about a subject. However, I do use other sources to cross check that information. I think that it is great that you allow your students to use wikis as part of their research. I think that it is an excellent way to encourage the development of information literacy skills and technology skills. And as you stated, they can use the wiki as a springboard to further their research.
I also use it to gain some general info on a topic, but I would use it most in class to teach about source reliability. Juxtaposing wikipedia against a book, encyclopedia, or other reliable source is a valuable lesson. It is important for students to understand that they can not always believe what they read and to be critical of all sources of information and identify potential biases or inconsistencies.
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