Wikis for an authentic audience
The oft-maligned Wikipedia has addressed many of its early problematic issues. Tighter controls mean that authorship and editing of entries are subject to scrutiny and sources are required to verify statements. Having students contribute to this collaborative tool is adding to the pool of knowledge, teaching them research and Web 2.0 skills and creating an authentic audience.
Why not get them to create / augment / correct entries about some of our Australian authors or illustrators? Patricia Wrightson, for example, may no longer be fashionable, but she will always be important. There are many gaps in her entry and at least one glaring error concerning The Nargun and the Stars, recently reissued by UQP Press. (We are tempted to correct it, but will leave it for a little longer so that someone can take up the challenge!)
Students will learn the importance of fact checking from print and online sources and citing them correctly in a real-world situation.
And if you are short of inspiration, check the YA Author and Illustrators pages on this blog. In the meantime, how nice if somebody could give Patricia Wrightson the entry she deserves.
There is more on using wikis in the classroom on our CMIS website.
