Wikis - For our Class Project!

Wikis in Education and the Workplace
Technology today is ever changing, as are the definitions of jobs, companies, places, and aspects of history. The use of a wiki helps to track these changes through anyone and anywhere in the world able to work online. While all information cannot be interpreted as factual, much information posted on wikis is useful, relevant, and up-to-date. In other words, “wikis can be fantastic tools for capturing and sharing information, publishing Web content, and more” (Nesbitt, 2007). A wiki allows users to “display information, which you and others can edit” and also “tracks all of the changes and enables you to roll back to a previous version of a page or the site as a whole” (2007).
Wikis can be used in a professional setting for almost any business or corporation. A wiki would be a great resource to use for someone that is leaving his or her current place of employment. Within the last two weeks of employment, the worker could set up a wiki to describe many key terms about the company, as well as procedures, tasks, important vendor information and further details on incomplete company projects. Once the basic information is set up, the employee can ask his or her colleagues and supervisors to review the wiki and add information as necessary. When the new employee joins the team, he or she will be greeted with a vast amount of knowledge from the person he or she is replacing along with his or her new colleagues.
By collaborating in this technology, colleagues may even be able to learn more from each other on company logistics, which will augment the company wisdom. This will also be a great resource to continuously update, as it can be sent to trustees, important clients, or supervisors. The third party will then be able to check in on the way in which you are working as a community to support the company and to stay abreast of current events in the industry.
For a wiki in education, a class can work together to design a wiki pertaining to a specific subject. For example, if a music class were to create a wiki about “Current Music Trends”, each class member could participate in their own manner. Some students could post a list of songs that all sound alike with links to YouTube, while others can comment on the type of sound currently in music heard on the radio today. Other classmates can research why certain rap songs sound similar to music from twenty years ago and provide links to the earlier rap artists that helped to mold today’s sounds. If any classmates have connections within the music industry - such as a singer or music producer - perhaps the class can post questions on the wiki that they would like to ask the interviewee. Then, whoever interviews the music industry person will post a transcribed version of the interview for the class to read asynchronously. Comments on the interview can be posted, and if the interviewee references historical events or people in the music industry, a classmate can add information on either topic of discussion.
The possibilities truly are endless with wikis, and it is a great tool for any classroom or corporation to manipulate for their own learning or professional advancement.