Wiki This Way: Harnessing the Potential of Wiki Technology in Elementary and Secondary Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate an instructional module’s effectiveness in positively influencing Preschool through 12th grade (PreK-12) educators to consider using Wiki technology to support Professional Development (PD) efforts and to integrate Wikis into the curriculum. Wikis can be utilized to support PD programs that are collaborative, allow for reflection, address authentic problems, and encourage peer feedback. Research suggests that these characteristics are consistent with how teachers learn best as opposed to the current top-down, lecture based, isolated workshop model of PD programs. A collateral benefit of using Wikis for PD is that teachers can also use this technology in their own classroom to help students master communication, collaboration, innovation, and critical thinking skills vital to economic success in the global economy. The module in this study positively influenced participants' attitudes towards adopting Wiki technology. A description of the instructional strategy, the methodology for testing and evaluation, the interpretation of the results, and implications for further study are included in this paper.