Experiences of Using Wiki as a Participatory Learning Tool in Teacher Education

Type of content
Journal Article
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. School of Teacher Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2016
Authors
Astall, C.
Cowan, J.
Abstract

Wikis have potential for facilitating learning in the online environment but studies have identified varying degrees of success. The implementation of a new learning management system at the university provided a context for course instructors to explore the potential of web2.0 tools to facilitate collaborative learning. This research sought to understand teacher education students’ experiences of working collaboratively using a wiki as the participatory technological web2.0 tool. The research study involved pre-service education teachers enrolled as either on-campus or distance (flexible) students in a compulsory first year curriculum paper. A quantitative and qualitative methodology was used to determine learner perspectives on working within a collaborative learning space. Working collaboratively using a wiki as a participatory technological tool was new to most pre-service teachers. Results from this study indicated that their experiences towards collaborative learning remained positive despite a number of challenges. Whilst each group’s experiences varied, we identified three contributing factors to pre-service teacher’s use of wiki as a collaborative learning tool. The student experiences were discussed in relation to the three factors supporting the development of collaborative learning: positive relationships, the role of the course instructor, and the web2.0 technology.

Description
Citation
Astall, C. &Cowan, J. (2016) Experiences of Using Wiki as a Participatory Learning Tool in Teacher Education. American Journal of Educational Research, 4(6), pp. 459-471.
Keywords
pre-service teacher, collaboration, wikis, web2.0, teaching strategies
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3903 - Education systems::390303 - Higher education
Field of Research::13 - Education::1303 - Specialist Studies in Education::130313 - Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3904 - Specialist studies in education::390405 - Educational technology and computing
Rights