I've never thought that wikis were a reliable resource since anyone could go on them and change the content. Since reading Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts; its become clear that wikis are much more powerful than I ever knew. Just like the saying "two heads are better than one" wikis put that into action. When everyone contributes to the knowledge that is collected through a wiki the learning becomes greater than if just one person created it.
Using wikis in the classroom is a great way to have students solve authentic problems. As teachers we want to mirror the real word for our students and allowing them to collaborate and demonstrate their new knowledge using wiki is the perfect tool for that learning objective.
Students could conduct a research project and create a wiki around their new knowledge. It would be interesting for students to see how others react to their information on their research topic. It would be a great way for students to have an authentic audience. I would explain to learners that others people will come to read, learn and even edit the content of their wikis. I was also think about teachers with younger students and maybe having a class wiki about a topic the class is interested in would be the way to go.
Michelle, I love your idea of the "two heads are better than one" to help explain the benefits of wikis. It is interesting to think of them in a positive light rather than the negative spin that is often put on them in the context of using Wikipedia for some official research paper or project in school--the big No-No of research! I love the idea of creating a wiki based on research, rather than relying on one to gather information in the first place. I feel like it could make a whole new meaning for students when they see what goes into making a wiki and how easy it is to manipulate information. They can also see how wikis can be used for good and not "evil" as they are so often told by their teachers. :)
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