Today, thanks to the
wiki format, anyone can be a published author. A wiki is a
collaborative Web site that allows a community of anonymous editors
to shape the site’s content by writing, editing and deleting
text as they see fit. Wikis have helped the Web make good on one of
its main promises: to be an interactive, community-driven medium.
When done well, wikis can become a central repository for a diversity
of knowledge (as evidenced by Wikipedia).
Yet, they receive as much criticism as they do praise, because not all
information is equal.
To assess a wiki’s role in research and learning, let’s consider some pros and cons:
Pros:
-Users can contribute their knowledge and share information
-Wiki articles are useful for providing introductory information about a topic
Cons:
-The anonymous, largely unregulated nature of editing articles can lead to the publishing of incorrect information
-Though intended to be unbiased, author opinion often creeps into articles
For educational purposes, wikis can be a powerful tool—a starting point to obtain insight and knowledge—but by no means are they the ultimate research and learning instrument. To learn more about using Wikipedia, visit the findingDulcinea Guide to Understanding Wikipedia.
Jen O'Neill
Education Writer
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