BLOGS & WIKIS
Learn about blogs and wikis
What is a blog?
A blog is a type of diary in which people or groups of people report at set times what they have done, seen, heard, learned or experienced. For some people, the writing of a blog is a personal diary that reports on everyday life; for others, it is a means to spread knowledge and news to colleagues or peers.
What is a Blog?
Educational applications of blogs
- Group projects, e.g. if students are working together on a shared assignment. In his blog, a student can document his progress; the others can react on this.
- Projects that last for a longer period of time, such as an internship. In his blog, the student can post his report including expectations.
- Reflections, for instance when discussing a topic in the news. In a blog, students can collect their expectations and reflect on these.
- Collaboration at distance. Teachers can stay up to date of the students’ progress and can also give feedback while being located at the other end of the world.
What is a wiki?
Wiki’s can be defined as an easy way of spreading and collecting inter-linked websites, where each site is easy to edit by any random visitor or user. In addition, all modifications are possible to trace back as every version of the wiki is saved. Everybody can write, edit and publish texts.
The best known example of a wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia in many different languages that is written by its users.
The best known example of a wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia in many different languages that is written by its users.
What can you do with a wiki?
- Build a classroom/school newspaper online
- Publish student projects and research
- Manage documents
- Use as a presentation tool
- Debate course topics, assigned readings
- Design a student-created "Solutions manual"
- Support service learning projects(build a website about a challenge in your town)
Educational applications of wikis
A wiki can be used as a project platform for groups of students (for the purpose of writing a project report or the development of specific topics). Within the project groups themselves, it will be handy to keep an updated version of e.g. documents within the wiki as it provides the desired help and support during brainstorming processes, finalizing parts, etc.
Examples of blogs and wikis
Technology enhanced learning / Wilfred Rubens, CEO of the College van Bestuur of Gilde Opleidingen;
ICT and onderwijs blog / Pierre Gorissen, consultant ICT and education at Fontys Hogescholen;
Onderwijsnieuwsdienst. This service collects blogs in the educational sector. You can subscribe