Wikis - The Wikification of College Research |
If you've ever gone online to learn more about a subject, chances are you've encountered a wiki site. Enter a subject into the blank on the wiki page and you'll quickly receive a collection of information on the subject. The encyclopedia-like information on a wiki page can be edited by anyone who views the page. Wiki websites are especially popular with college students who are working on research assignments. Here is a brief look at the controversial use of wikis by college students sometimes referred to as the 'wikification' of college research. In addition, here are some of the actual disadvantages and advantages involved in the use of the wiki in the research process. The popularity of wikis among college students who are writing papers is undeniable. Travel to, College Students Using Wikis for Homework, and you'll read that ninety percent of college students have admitted to using a wiki to complete assignments. Evidently, surfing to a wiki website, typing in the subject of an assignment, and then reading the summarized information, is a practice that most college students cannot resist. But, in the world of college professors who are trying to ensure that their students fully understand a subject, a student's use of a wiki as a research tool is questionable. According to one Kent State professor's thoughts at Wikis and Their Purpose in a College Student's Research, the wiki should only be used by a student to get an overview of a particular subject. The information found at a wiki site should not be the end of the student's search for knowledge on a subject. One group of history professors took it a step further when, according to the information found at One School's Ban on a Wiki, the use of a wiki as a citation in a class assignment or exam was banned by their department at Middlebury College. The ban was prompted when several students came up with the same wrong answer on an exam. The wrong information was eventually traced to a wiki. Most professors know that students will use wikis, but believe that the information found there should only be seen as a guideline and not relied upon as the final word on the subject matter. There are several disadvantages to using a wiki website as a means of research. Read the revealing information at Looking at the Information on a Wiki and you'll find that because there are so many writers who edit and add to the information contained in a wiki, all of the contributors are not likely to be authorities on the subject. Another significant point made in the above website is, considering the wikis are open to any writer, there is a possibility that the subject matter of the wiki may not be written about objectively. In the article found at Thoughts on a Wiki from an Expert even the founder of the well-known Wikipedia cautions students not to use the information found there for academic assignments. He remarks in the article that it is best to be, "careful," with the information found there. Many wikis continue to thrive online because there are a lot of advantages to using them. One of the benefits listed on the Advantages of Wikis, is that the information on the website can be updated in a timely way, unlike an encyclopedia on a shelf. It's also a way for students, or anyone else, to get the background information on people and places in a time efficient way--according to the second article Debate Over the Use of Wikis by College Students. In addition, most wikis include links that allow a person to access more information that helps to paint a bigger picture of a chosen topic. For further information on wikis visit, Important Guide to Wikis Great Web Resource on Several Subjects Access to a Variety of Educational Books Excellent Wiki for Environmental Information |