Lesson: Wikis for Collaboration

 

 Lesson Pages

• Overview & Objectives
• Lesson
• Questions & Comments

 

Sizing Up the Barrier

Because this module will look at two functions of Wikis for Collaboration (content development and shared note taking), two separate barriers are addressed.

1. Lack of Collaborative Skills Development – A primary function of college is to prepare students for future careers. Effective collaboration with others is a prized skill for professionals. For example, high-powered global businesses like Accenture Links to an external site., Elcom Links to an external site., and Cisco Links to an external site. emphasize the importance of not just collaboration, but digital collaboration among employees. If students are required to collaborate to create content via authentic tasks in their courses, they are more likely to be able to transfer those skills to the work world.
   
   However, collaborative experiences in online coursework are rare. Even the use of discussion boards is often perfunctory. In such instances, students may feel disengaged, may not have the opportunity to learn the value or the skills related to collaboration (e.g. Luckin, 2010), and may ultimately be less prepared for competitive job markets.
   
   
2. Difficulty in Simultaneous Listening and Note-Taking – The research shows that students benefit from taking quality notes in real-time classes (see Friedman, 2013 Links to an external site. for a comprehensive review of the literature). In fact, research by Carrier, Williams and Dalgaard (1988) Links to an external site. demonstrated that students’ perceptions of the value of note-taking is a predictor of college grades. However, some students struggle to listen and take notes simultaneously. Even those who are able to manage simultaneous execution of both cognitive activities may be unable to organize their notes so that they can make sense of them when they review them later in the term.

 

 

How can instructors use Canvas to facilitate effective collaboration among students and quality note-taking? This lesson will address this challenge.

 

Methods

Method 1: Using Canvas Pages as Wikis

One way to support students in collaboration is to use Canvas Pages as wikis. Using Canvas Pages as wikis opens up a great tool with several uses. Here are some (drawn verbatim from an excellent guide Links to an external site. from the University of Delaware):

Inviting students to collaborate on a Canvas Page is easy. Pages on Canvas (like the one you are viewing now) are actually wiki tools that only teachers can author/edit by default, but it doesn't have to be this way. Here's how you can make your Pages into Wikis:

1) Instructors should locate or create the page they wish to make into a wiki from the pages menu.

2. Then, they should click "Edit" when they are in the page they wish to make into a wiki.

 

 

3. At the bottom of the page, they can then select the "Options" drop-down menu to change whom can edit the page. Selecting "Teachers and Students" or "Anyone" allows for collaborative access to students (or anyone who accesses the page, depending on the option selected).

 

 

4. Instructors can see page revision history including which users made changes and can revert to older versions if/when mistakes are made.

 

 

 

Method 2: Collaborating Through the "Collaborate" Function

Using Canvas pages as wikis is an excellent tool to which faculty ought to have access, but it isn't the only Canvas tool for collaboration. On the course navigation pane, each course by default shows a section of the course called "collaborations." The collaborations page is a quick-and-easy way to create shared Google documents among students (and/or instructors) through Canvas. These documents are especially powerful for shared note-taking (either in class or for group project planning, etc), though the tool is flexible enough to be used for many collaboration applications.

 

 

 

Here's how instructors can use the Canvas Collaborations tool to create Google Docs:

1. Navigate to the "collaborations" tab when in a given course.

 

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3. Name the document, give it a description (optional).

 

 

 

3. Add collaborators from among the class roster and click "start collaborating."

 

All participants will immediately receive an email inviting them to collaborate on the newly created Google Doc and will be able to contribute immediately. When collaborative docs are made through Canvas, Instructors have access by default and the collaboration file becomes a permanent (unless deleted) part of the Canvas course.

Shared note-taking. As aforementioned, Google Docs may be especially useful for shared note-taking. There is some research evidence that shared note-taking during live courses may be an effective means to engage students, particularly in lecture settings (e.g. Reilly et al., 2013 Links to an external site.; Popescu et al., 2016 Links to an external site.). Such shared notes may allow students to support one another in the note-taking process. For example, while one student records main ideas, another student could be contributing examples, while another uploads an image of the instructor's visual aid to compliment that moment of the lecture and still another organizes the notes after class. Note that such structured shared note-taking may require a degree of teaching and preparation before students learn how to maximize the effectiveness of the tool.

 

Summary

Providing students with the opportunity to meaningfully collaborate helps develop skills in high demand in the professional world, and enables students to support and learn from one another. Canvas pages can be converted to a Wiki to support brainstorming, co-creation of final products, and other collaborative efforts. Collaboration can also be fostered using the Canvas “collaborations” function, which enables instructors or students to set up shared Google Docs within the Canvas course. Collaborative Google Docs can also be used to support shared note taking.