As an online encyclopedia source, Wikis are a now a staple of the internet -- from the ever-present Wikipedia and Google's recent “expert” wiki Knol -- to specialized wikis on topics as wide-ranging as evolution (EvoWiki) to Star Wars trivia (Wookiepedia) to the PhilosophyWiki. While problems with students citing (and copying from) wikis as source material continue, there are other uses of wikis in the classroom. Course-specific wikis, created by instructors and edited by students, can help instructors communicate with students, encourage collaboration amongst students, and assist in overall course management. As a side benefit, their use can meet campus goals for integrating technology into instruction and increasing the technological proficiency of students. This talk reviews lessons learned from using a wiki to teach freshman biology/ecology at the Oconee campus of Gainesville State College. Supplemental class materials, homework, and collaborative projects in this class are handled through the use of a free educational wiki hosting service.
Results/Conclusions
The collaborative project done using the Wiki is based on ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are natural resources and processes that benefit humans -- their identification and valuation are becoming integral for environmental decision-making efforts that include goals as wide-ranging as biodiversity conservation, resource management, environmental education, and sustainable development. The classification of ecosystem services serves as a natural division of project responsibilities for students to work together to identify and summarize the ecosystem services provided by a specific biome. Students are individually responsible for writing sections on the four types of services (provisioning, supporting, regulating, cultural) and also use the Wiki to collaboratively write introduction and summary sections. This allows for class discussions about the scientific process and experience in producing scientific works – the process of peer review, openness, and the value of collaboration.
