I posted these comments on the class portal, but I think they are relevant, so I will post it again on this blog.
There is no doubt in my mind that wikis have the potential to be excellent communication and collaborative writing tools for students. The study conducted by Paul Sze (2008) was highly organised and the prompt questions were well chosen. Students got to participate in a meaningful task that represented their reality. It has been proven that collaborative writing offers many advantages: communication, cooperation among students, sharing ideas, opinions and knowledge, etc. I also agree with Mr. Sze about wikis being an excellent resource for book reports, brainstorming, class wikis, etc.
However, as mentioned by Andreja Kovacic (2007), “(…) the use of a wiki in ESP courses required careful planning and preparation, monitoring and moderating of students’ work, as well as reflection and adequate feedback to the students (…)." In my opinion, it is imperative that the teacher monitor wikis. This would ensure that everyone is participating and contributing equally. By supervising the wikis, the teacher can also make sure that students’ ideas are considered and respected by their peers.
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