Wikis in Education

I would have to agree with the postings of the other classmates. Wikis, just like the other tools, we've learned, have many benefits. Currently, students in my Advanced Placement Biology class at Parkdale High School have embarked upon a year long project by using a wiki to develop a student portfolio. The portfolio is a collection of artifacts ranging from a resume, an autobiographical sketch, a career research assignment, and much more.

Speaking to the validity of Wikipedia and Wikibooks, as a rule of thumb, I typically refer my students to initially visit sites other than Wikipedia or Wikibooks. I think I have some apprehension that the students will gain misleading information. For assignments such as lab reports and such, I instruct them to visit sites with either an .edu or .gov extension. Other sites that are corporately owned with the .com extension are also useful provided they are educational in nature. Sites such as Gale Research and United Streaming provide invaluable resources for students and adults alike.

On the other hand, one benefit, of using a site such as Wikipedia or Wikibooks is that is does provide students with a quick reference for information.