SWOT Analysis: the learning potential of a Wiki

Strength

Wikis are simple to use, user friendly and easy to learn.

Students can access their wiki from home, school, friends place, work in their breaks, anywhere they can connect to the internet.

Students can have access to any school work that the teacher has determined important and posted, things they may have missed if absent for the day, collaborative assignments that they may be working on etc.

Anyone can edit a wiki page.  It is also possible to regulate user access. 

Wikis can be adapted to facilitate many different types of classroom activities such as collaborative projects, peer review, debates, competitions, and student comments and reflections.

Wikis can be a tool used for collaboration as everyone can access them at any time.

Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a new edition or update information.

Students can upload files to the wiki.

The wiki software keeps track of every edit made and it's a simple process to revert back to a previous version of an article.

On programs, such as WikiEducator, you must be logged in to edit pages; this can reduce vandalism by automated spam bots.

Widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users.

There are a wide range of open source software wiki's to choose from so licensing costs shouldn't be a barrier to installing an institutional wiki.

Weakness

The flexibility of a wiki's structure can mean that information becomes disorganised and the thread of information may become disjointed.

Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example confidential documentation.

Open to SPAM and Vandalism if not managed properly.

Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate.  Since the wiki is web based, if you can’t get to the web, you can’t access the wiki, and therefore, you can’t access the work.

There are many types of wikis to choose from. Some of these can be confusing as to how to install it and back it up.

Opportunity

The wiki has no predetermined structure – consequently it is a flexible tool which can be used for a wide range of applications

Encourages participation and a strong sense of common purpose.

Allows students complete control of the content.

Gives teachers an opportunity to help students gain ICT and literacy skill.

Wikis can promote peer learning through public project viewing. 

A wiki also gives the advantage of being able to put many ideas together and then go back and edit them when necessary or when time allows.

Students gain a platform in which to differentiate and make their own judgements regarding accuracy of information.

Student’s edits and additions can be tracked, allowing for the teacher to assess an individual’s contribution to group progress; visibility adds accountability.

People located in different parts of the world can work on the same document.

Threat

A wiki can run the risk of becoming a battleground.

Students can publish inaccurate or untruthful information.

A wiki is a web based document which means that what you put up into cyberspace can be found by other people. Wiki’s can be protected by using a password, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t hack into it. One of the people that has the password may be a little less than trustworthy and give the password out to others. If you are working on a project that you really don’t want others to see, you may not want to use a wiki.

If someone in a group is not tech-savvy, they may be very timid about using the wiki. If one or more of the users are avoiding the wiki because they are scared of it, the whole group will lose out on those people’s ideas.

It is not uncommon for a group member to be lazy about doing their fair share of the work. When that person has access to everyone else’s work, it may be easy for them to steal ideas and take credit for work they didn’t really do.

Attributions to:

Aneesh Bhat’s Blog, LMS Wikis: Unarnessed Potential, http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2011/01/10/lms-wikis-unharnessed-potential/

Augar, N., Raitman, R. & Zhou, W. (2004).  Teaching and learning online with wikis.  Retrieved 3 August 2011 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.133.1456&rank=1

DeVore, J. L., Cecala, K. K. & Maerz, J. C. (n.d.).  Wikis in the classroom: properties, perceptions, and potential uses of this collaborative learning tool.  Retrieved 3 Aug 2011 from http://precedings.nature.com/documents/5244/version/1/files/npre20105244-1.pdf

Feris, S. P. & Wilder H. (n.d.) Uses and Potentials of Wikis in the Classroom.  Retrieved 3 August 2011 from http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol2_issue5/Uses_and_Potentials_of_Wikis_in_the_Classroom.pdf

GeekGirl (2008). Gadget Girl Accessories: disadvantages of Using Wikis.  Retrieved 3 August 2011 from  http://www.gadgetgirlaccessories.com/internet-geek/disadvantages-of-using-wikis/

Sanden, S. & Darragh, J. (2011).  Wiki Use in the 21^stCentury Literacy Classroom: A framework for Evaluation.  Retrieved 3 August 2011 from http://www.citejournal.org/articles/v11i1languagearts1.pdf

Wiki Educator (2010).  Advantages and Disadvantages.  Retrieved 3 August 2011 from http://wikieducator.org/Wikieducator_tutorial/What_is_a_wiki/Advantages_and_disadvantages