In creating a series of wikis in order to reflect on and discuss a range of web tools that can be incorporated into teaching and learning at the tertiary level, I believe it is first critical to consider the continued effectiveness of wikis.
The wiki of all wikis that easily spread this social networking phenomena across the globe, is Wikipedia (source www.wikipedia.org ) Wikipedia explains the first open source online forums were created between 1993 and 1999 (source: History of Wikipedia, 2011). Wikipedia, which has become a global information tool, was established in 2001 as a free, online encyclopaedia. Originally, it was created as a public information forum where anyone could post material and add to or edit existing posts. This became the definition of a wiki as the Oxford English Dictionary Online states: (March 2011): 'A type of web page designed so that its content can be edited by anyone who accesses it, using a simplified markup language.'
As it might be expected, most publicly accessible wikis encountered challenges because anyone had the opportunity to make changes to published material. For sites, such as Wikipedia, that purported to be a ‘free online encyclopaedia’, for it to have a level of accuracy of the information it featured, it meant that it had to review its open access policy so as to ensure credibility of its brand. In 2005, due to a number of incidences where inaccurate information was posted, Wikipedia adopted a more stringent submission process whereby posts are peer reviewed and vetted (History of Wikipedia, 2011). Being the most famous global wiki and the one perhaps with the most influence on how a wiki is defined, this action meant that Wikipedia changed the definition of ‘wikis’. We now have other similarly controlled ‘wikis’ that are about providing accessible information in a public platform, however it is not possible for internet users to adapt this content. The most infamous is Wikileaks: which has a detailed submission policy on its website that explains all material is scrutinised, verified and it is only possible to submit material at certain times. This approach contradicts the Oxford English Dictionary Online wiki definition of March 2011.
It is worthwhile explaining this context in relation to the following discussions on the various websites and web tools that I incorporate into units (subjects) I convene and manage within the University of Canberra Advertising and Marketing Communication program (for both postgraduate and undergraduate levels).
The use and the ever changing approaches of online media was recently discussed at the Australian Association of National Advertisers 2011 Congress. Areas that were discussed included the constantly changing nature of social networking and digital work. What was produced yesterday, will likely to be out of date by tomorrow. The online, digital world is a fast moving, fast paced environment. Therefore, it is no surprise that wikis have evolved and have morphed into the style and approach of a controlled and managed blog.
The reinvention of wikis into a blog style platform is also supported by my advertising-marketing communication students who at the beginning of this year (2011)requested that their wiki discussions sites, on the online Moodle tool, all be converted to blogs. They asked for this change because they no longer felt wikis, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary Online, were useful. They claimed they no longer served the purpose for an open discussion, and while they believed it was critical to feature comments and material that could be commented upon, they did not support open access so material could be altered or edited by another user. (personal communication, 2011).
References:
Australian Association of National Advertisers. (February 2011) AANA Congress: Window on 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.aana.com.au/Congress2011.htm accessed 20 April 2011.
History of Wikipedia. (2011). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_History accessed 17 April 2011.
Oxford English Dictionary Online. Retrieved from: wiki, n. Third edition, December 2006; online version March 2011. http://www.oed.com:80/Entry/267577 accessed 17 April 2011.
Wikileaks. (2011) http://wikileaks.ch/ accessed 17 April 2011.
Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org accessed 17 April 2011.
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