PBWorks

Introduction

This week we had to investigate PBWorks, I have had some experiences with wiki but not alot so this week gave me something to tinker with.

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is a collaborate editing site that allows users to post information onto the web and others can go in and edit the information if it is false.  As a history teacher I tend to have my students avoid wiki's in their research because of that fact.  Which I do have to admit that I knew some of my students where going to do this so I did go in an edit information once, and told them what I had done after they turned in and told them to redo the assignment correctly.  

On the other hand PBWorks, almost works like edmodo or another CMS program because it allows you to have an assignments page, to add users, and upload files to.  While the other wikis that I have worked with just allow you to post information, mainly written information to the page. 

Content & Wiki

From an educators view on the use of a wiki it can be very beneficial when it comes to sharing ideas with students, but also it can be a good collaborative tool.  If you taught English you could put a paper that you want your students edit that paper in real time using a wiki.  I think that a good learning objective for using a wiki would be collaboration and working together.  Many of our students do not collaborate well, and I think this would get them to work together and of course learn how to edit their work. 

Learning Theory

I think that PBworks would be a good example of distributed learning because as I was tinkering with it to learn more.  I found that it organizes very well and many of the templates that they create to help you actually could be useful like the assignments tab.  It allows you to list out all the assignments due for the semester or year.  Which is the foundation of distributed learning, because since it is done at a distance students need to know what is due and when it is due.  Another aspect that PBworks contributes to distributed learning is the fact that it allows you to post your class documents.  Other wiki's that I have used in the past never allowed you to upload powerpoints.  However, my favorite part is that PBworks allows you to create a class discussion by creating a page, there is probably a better way but that is the one I found, students can post to the question and then reply to their classmates.  Again it adds to the student centered learning of collaboration.