Wiki-Based Learning Community
From Sedcwiki
Wiki-based Information Sharing &
Collaborative Learning Communities
A Case Model for SEDC Portal
This document describes the Wiki based options available for creating “Collaborative Learning Communities.” Community websites are gaining prominence and relevance day-by-day, and understanding how to make the right choice of delivery mechanism for “Information/Knowledge Sharing” has become very critical. The usage and benefits of successfully implementing the wiki, in a community environment which we refer as “Wiki Community”, will be elaborated here.
Key Words:
Wikis, Wiki Community, Learning Community, Collaborative Portals, Knowledge Management, Information/Knowledge Sharing, Social Networking, Social Learning, Collaborative Communications, E-Learning and E-Environment.
Background
About Wiki:
A wiki is a special type of website that allows visitors to edit, contribute and expand the wealth of its content. In this regard it is much more than that, it is a way to work together to build knowledge, collaboration and connections for the common good. A wiki allows users to easily create, edit and link web pages. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, power community websites, and are increasingly being installed by organizations to provide affordable and effective use of “Knowledge Management and Information Sharing.” One of the best-known wikis is Wikipedia.
Wiki was developed by Ward Cunningham of Portland, USA, in 1995. He wanted to be able to quickly and easily share his ideas with colleagues over the internet. He decided to use the term wiki, which is Hawaiian for quick and fast. Ward designed the wiki keeping in view that there would be thousands or maybe millions of other pages that would be linked to. A wiki enables documents to be written collaboratively, in a simple markup language using a web browser.
A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Wikis are structured from the start as a tool for active participation and collective communication. Editing a wiki is far simpler than modifying a typical website because doing so does not require HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language which is used to edit web pages) skills. Typically, editing a wiki page is just a matter of clicking the edit button on any page top or section header.
In a wiki, one can write whatever he/she wants, so long as it's constructive and adds to the next reader's experience. This way it enables web documents to be authored collectively. This stands in sharp contrast to traditional websites which limit visitors to viewing and whose content can only be modified by the site’s owner. Wikis can work very well in certain environments, such as work places where collaboration is highly valued and there is a strong culture of knowledge and information sharing.
Wiki operates as a “Conversational and Collaborative Tool” for Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing. Conversational, as knowledge providers/users can ask questions. Collaborative, as knowledge providers/users can correct, update, insert, comment and delete contents.
One of the key values in a Wiki Community is the understanding that is all about People, People, Technology and People! Wiki is the best tool that we have available today which aims to facilitate creativity, collaboration and sharing of information/knowledge among its users. So in this regard, wiki is better tool than other social networking technologies like email, weblogs, forums, discussion boards, chat rooms, white boards etc just … better.
The wiki have really created a new, user friendly and valuable technology for organizing and sharing information on the websites. The wiki provides a platform to the members (learners) of its community to collaboratively construct new shared information and knowledge as they interact with each other in this e-environment. This allows them to meet their goals and accomplish their projects while working on the specific issues they have decided to work together. In the Wiki Community users own the data and exercise control over the data. Wikis offer genuine interactivity as people can upload as well as download the information.
Mr. Ward Cunningham, inventor of wiki, described the wiki as the “the simplest online collaboration tool that can work effectively.” The wiki framework has been developed on the concept of keeping it simple and easy to use. According to Mr. Cunningham one of the greatest features of wiki is that it is built upon the Biological Model rather than Mechanical Model. In this way, wiki is like a vibrant culture that keeps on growing, maturing and prospering over the course of time.
The constructive dialogue, criticism and contributions bring the Wiki Community members together on the common social issues and problems. This assists in magnifying the best intentions of its Wiki Community members for the good common cause they are striving for together. Core values of a Wiki Community bring out the best in human behaviour in the collaborative social learning environment. People admire this community sharing and fostering the community concept for a positive change.
About SEDCWiki:
The SEDC (Social Enterprise Development Center) IT Development Task Team has developed and launched its own wiki in April, 2007 named “SEDCWiki” for SEDC Portal. The wiki would be used primarily by the SEDC users, participants, stakeholders and other professionals from social enterprise and development sector.
SEDCWiki is a step forward in making the SEDC Portal a “Collaborative Portal.” Individuals as well as organizations belonging to the social sector community can exchange views and share their efforts and opportunities available in the areas of research, training and consultancy i.e. RTC Model which is a roadmap and strategy practiced in the SEDC programs/activities.
Wiki serves as a powerful tool for the users to engage in various dialogues, exchange ideas and share their valuable opinions. This would enable people from diverse backgrounds to discuss the social issues and problems facing our society. SEDCWiki would specifically focus on the SEDC core thematic areas namely: Education, Health, Gender, Microfinance/Poverty Alleviation, Devolution/Good Governance and Monitoring & Evaluation that belong to six geographical chapters formed by SEDC namely Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar chapters.
The SEDCWiki offers a community based platform for writing, changing/updating and editing the contents/material online in real time on the web. After thorough exchange of views, talks on the pros and cons, and extensive debate on the issues in hand, a final consensus is reached that would be agreed upon by the majority of the participants.
This leads to creation of certain useful documents that would provide guide lines for future directions. This more practical "collaborative communication method" would assist the policy makers, government agencies, NGOs/CBOs as well as domestic/ international donors to implement policies that would be in line with the social needs/priorities for masses of the population.
Collaborative Learning Community:
Learning community is a common place on the web that addresses the learning needs of its members through proactive sharing. Learning community involves a group of people who share common values and beliefs and they are actively engaged in learning together from each other. Through social networking and technology people work and collaborate as a community to achieve a learning objective as defined by the educator (moderator), or just by a member of the community.
The basic aim of learning community is to develop a group of people who work to build vibrant communities comprised of individual’s members freely electing to participate in it. These users give, in essence, an enthusiastic nod to the vision and limitless potential of an open edit website. Members uphold the covenant to contribute constructive edits to build a comprehensive document by promoting the concept of sharing of knowledge.
The momentum of the community acting in concert works to insulate and preserve the wiki environment from destructive influences. Ideally speaking, this discourages the violation of the “invisible contract of trust that exists among community members” a rare occurrences. Even if it does occur, it is easily squelched by the community through self-regulation and a desire to preserve the interests of the group.
The people who facilitate learning communities may contribute from several distinct fields of study. In a sense, inter- disciplinary approach involves attacking a subject from various angles and methods, eventually cutting across disciplines and forming a new method for understanding of the subject. A common goal (understanding) unites the various methods and acknowledges a common shared subject or problem, even if it spreads to other disciplines.
Objectives:
• To launch “Collaborative Learning Communities” on the existing SEDCWiki.
• The main objective of this initiative would be to facilitate and provide a user friendly platform and a place to a community of users in which a diverse variety of views are presented, exchanged and discussed in an open and candid way. Where social organizations, members of the civil society, SEDC Fellows/ Participants and SEDC stakeholders etc can share the information/ knowledge and learn form each other. This process would help the members to bring a positive change in their communities in specific and in the society as a whole.
• To establish, implement and monitor the proper function and operation of these Learning Communities as prescribed and agreed upon by the members of the particular groups.
• SEDC projects are being funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). With the financial help of CIDA many projects are being carried out in different parts of Pakistan. Primarily these projects are designed to help in various capacities in uplifting the standard and quality of life of the members of our society. The Wiki Community would assist the team members of various projects who are working in the same social areas.
• Establishing the Wiki Community on the web would help the CIDA members to manage, monitor and evaluate its various projects from one place.
Scope:
Initially the target audience of this project would be SEDC Fellows i.e. participants who have been trained through SEDC Programs and SEDC Local Chapters Coordinators. On later stages, the scope of the Wiki Community would be expanded to various organizations where the members could engage in participatory environment for information/knowledge sharing and in learning actively from each other.
Outcome:
• A wiki is only as strong as the community that surrounds it. So a pedagogy framework would be developed that would assist and motivate the SEDC participants to engage actively to discuss the current social issues in the collaborative learning environment.
• Various open source software and tools would be examined and installed as needed, keeping in view of their ease of use as well as friendly and intuitive interface.
• It is expected that the once the “Learning Community System” is in placed, it would prove as a valuable and robust tool for the SEDC Portal.
• It is anticipated that the Wiki Community would serve as a platform for information sharing and exchange of views among the individuals who are working on the same social thematic areas on various projects specifically if they are funded by the same donor agency.
• This process of sharing/exchange of information and combined learning environment of Wiki Community would assist in developing linkages/synergies among the individuals who are engaged in various projects in achieving certain prescribed goals.
• This would in turn, help to reduce the repetitive efforts put forth by the individuals working on the same thematic areas in various organizations in different projects.
• The knowledge gained through a collaborative efforts of diversified pool of individuals around the world, who are working on the same specific areas and social issues at hand, would serve as more comprehensive, consolidated and authenticated piece of information.
• The global out reach of the information sharing through Wiki Community would be a great mile stone towards achieving the concept of “global collaboration.”
References:
i) www.aboutus.org
ii) www.wikipedia.org
iii) www.epic.co.uk
iv) Dr. Shafay Shamail, “SEDC Distance Learning Paper”, 10th of October, 2007.
v) Comments of the Speakers, Mr.Ward Cunningham and Mr. Ray King during a seminar of aboutus.org, held at LUMS, on13th of November, 2007.
Imran Mahdi
SEDC-LUMS
IT Development Task Team
imranm@lums.edu.pk
