ERIC Number: EJ1039807
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Sep
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1492-3831
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using Wikis for Online Group Projects: Student and Tutor Perspectives
Kear, Karen; Donelan, Helen; Williams, Judith
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, v15 n4 p70-90 Sep 2014
This paper presents a study of the use of wikis to support online group projects in two courses at the UK Open University. The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a wiki in supporting (i) student collaboration and (ii) tutors' marking of the students' collaborative work. The paper uses the main factors previously identified by the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a starting point to examine and discuss the experiences of these two very different user groups: students and tutors. Data was gathered from students via a survey and from tutors via a range of methods. The findings suggest that, when used in tandem with an online forum, the wiki was a valuable tool for groups of students developing a shared resource. As previous studies using the TAM have shown, usefulness and ease of use were both important to students' acceptance of the wiki. However, the use of a wiki in this context was less well-received by tutors, because it led to an increase in their workload in assessing the quality of students' collaborative processes. It was possible to reduce the tutor workload by introducing a greater degree of structure in the students' tasks. We conclude that when introducing collaborative technologies to support assessed group projects, the perceptions and needs of both students and tutors should be carefully considered.
Descriptors: Web 2.0 Technologies, Online Courses, Electronic Learning, Student Projects, Cooperative Learning, Teamwork, Open Universities, Student Evaluation, Student Surveys, Usability, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Faculty Workload, Technology Uses in Education, Program Effectiveness, Group Discussion, Statistical Analysis, Qualitative Research, Foreign Countries, Instructional Effectiveness, Tutors
Athabasca University. 1200, 10011 - 109 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S8, Canada. Tel: 780-421-2536; Fax: 780-497-3416; e-mail: irrodl@athabascau.ca; Web site: http://www.irrodl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A