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Brian Lamb, a project coordinator with the Office of Learning Technology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), recently authored "Wide Open Spaces: Wikis, Ready or Not," an article in the September-October 2004 issue of EDUCAUSE Review. Since wikis are emerging as a new technology for educators (we are using them for the new Ocotillo Action Groups) we decided to learn more about them from Brian.
Can you tell us a little about your background and your current position at UBC?
My educational background is in English Literature (American, actually). After I finished my MA, I stumbled into online learning via the Tec de Monterrey University at the campus in Hermosillo.
I was originally hired here at UBC to coordinate "learning object" projects. In truth, I think I was hired to try and figure out what "learning objects" are... and in that respect, I have been a resounding failure.
Why would you say "failure?"
Because like everyone else, I can't tell you what a "learning object" is. The fact people in our field still can't agree on basic terminology is a troubling warning sign.
For those who may not be familiar with UBC, can you just give a general description of the university?
It's one of the bigger Universities in Canada, in some respects it is very advanced -- with regards to technology at least; for example, we have wireless access all over campus. It's the birthplace of WebCT. It's also a decentralized place: historically (and presently) the individual faculties and units have a great deal of autonomy over how they conduct their affairs. My own role is to coordinate or facilitate collaboration amongst these diverse groups.
Congratulations on your recent EDUCAUSE Review article on wikis. First, why wikis? What is special or unique about them?
That article drew heavily on the dialogue that the online community has been having the past few years --which is the point that there's a collective groping for meaning happening out there. With respect to wikis, there are a number of defining characteristics, but if I had to choose one, it would be the link (usually at the bottom of the page) that says something like "Edit text of this page".
If any online reader can edit the content on the screen, without providing a password or downloading any software, then it's probably a wiki.
Wikis are actually old technology, what has made them rise to "buzzword" status now, some 10 years after they first appeared?
I think it's a response to how the Internet has tended to develop over the past decade. Technology has gotten more complex, and more restrictive. The tight structures of the most popular collaborative software systems --and the obvious limitations of email-- have people crying out for simpler, more open alternatives.
In my article I quote Ross Mayfield --something to the effect of "if a disruptive technology appears in your organization, it means that your IT strategy isn't working." People want to use their tools to support what they want to do, not learn new tools to do what somebody else has decided they should do.
What is the technology that makes wikis work? What does it take to get one set up at an institution? Which software do you use? Why was it chosen?
There is no one technology that lies beneath all wikis. They use all sorts of programming languages and can be set up with a myriad of architectures. Many of them are open source, and they tend to be fairly light in terms of server and bandwidth requirements. We initially used UseMod --and to be honest that initial decision was arbitrary and uninformed-- and that system has its points... it's very easy to install (Perl) and it is as simple to use as any system out there. A majority of UBC users have figured the system out for themselves.
Please describe for our audience some ways wikis have been used at UBC.
Due to the anonymity factor, I don't think I can give you a number of users. (That gets me in trouble here.) I can say that on a typical day about 2-10 new pages get started, and about 10-20 get edited on our main system. In terms of what they do... I can give you a few examples.
A fairly typical use if for an instructor to use it as a bulletin board for events and for simple discussions: http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Mech410-550Z
Our Career Services unit is in the midst of a major site re-design... they are using the wiki to mock-up content while the techies get their act together. Everyone is able to author content --not just a handful of people who know how to use Dreamweaver-- and everyone can contribute to all the sections. They really have used the wiki well: http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?COL
How do the instructors take to wikis? How about the students?
A small minority of instructors has actually seen what wikis can do... but I've taken to doing all my presentations and workshops inside a wiki space. Invariably it really piques the interest of at least a handful of them. One element they have difficulty with is the "loss of control" implied by open access and anonymous editing. In many respects it mirrors the challenges of encouraging instructors to allow more constructivist philosophies to influence their instruction.
Students have been more enthusiastic, although some of them experience the same disorientation that most newcomers do.
How do you help people make the "Aha" step from that first look of puzzlement when you describe a web site that anyone can edit or destroy?
I think when they begin to understand that the users are in control; that though they may sacrifice some functions such as security and organization, they gain a great deal of speed and autonomy. It really requires doing to become a believer.
I do have one gimmick, where I invite people in the audience to erase or deface all of my materials. Then I restore my stuff with a few clicks of the mouse. That really is the key to the notion of "Soft Security" (which underlies this approach). It needs to be easier to fix damage than it is to inflict it.
Have you been surprised by anything in the use of wikis at UBC?
I've mainly been surprised by how diverse the uses can be... and though there are plenty of nay-sayers, I've been pleasantly surprised by how many users have accepted the conditions of a wiki. It is still a niche technology --and I'm not sure it will ever be wholly mainstream in its current form-- but most days I see at least one new application of wikis that I never expected.... That's an immensely satisfying thing to observe.
I was surprised to see the wiki page start out supporting a group of academics brainstorming a series of conferences, and then watching it evolve into a full-fledged conference page/discussion board/published proceedings: http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/wiki?TechnoCulture
Then again, I think it's cool to watch people plan their group camping trips too.
The most frequently referenced example of a wiki is the WikiPedia- the main objection is the concern over the authenticity of the information. How can we address those concerns?
We need to recognize that there are limitations to the Wikipedia model. If you are looking for authoritative, vetted expert opinions, there will always be problems with Wikipedia. Then again, there is a far wider range of subjects covered on Wikipedia, and material is generally more up to date. And community policing works remarkably well in most cases. I would point to Google as a comparison. Google uses Pagerank (the number of people linking to a site) to determine the order of returned results, and leverages popular activity to allow for corrections of search phrases and spelling. Are Google's rankings more "authoritative" or "reliable" than your local library's online catalogue? No way. Is it an easier and groovier experience to get a quick answer via Google? You bet.
Where do you see wikis fitting in with other learning technology tools?
I don't see them taking over, but I think they can make a wonderful and versatile option to fill in the many gaps in present online interaction. They make a perfect online scratch pad... even if users switch to a more powerful and complex technology later on.
We will probably see wikis evolve to become more like traditional web authoring tools --already more structured systems with features like WYSIWYG editing are emerging-- and vice versa. It's a safe bet that wiki-like elements will be part of future content and course management systems (again, this is already happening).
I can't think of any better way for educators to understand wikis than to try them -- you have a wiki system at Maricopa, don't you? I'd recommend starting with simple tasks --try setting up a list of links, and inviting students to add to it. We are inviting students in a course I am co-teaching to share notes on the book we are presently reading: http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/wiki?CharacteristicsOfOrality
I guess my fundamental belief is that before we adopt complex, expensive, and rigid approaches to online learning, we should take a long look at simple and open systems too. There's an Errol Morris movie entitled "Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control," and that has become my mantra. Advocacy of this philosophy is supported by literally countless very cool things developing along similar lines in the Wider Web World. Wikis are just one piece of that.
Thanks for participating in this first ever "chat" interview, have a great day in beautiful Vancouver!
Thanks to you --I have learned a great deal watching the great work you folks in Maricopa are doing... you are true pioneers.
This entire interview was conducted September 29, 2004 using iChat, Apple's instant messaging software. The full transcript is available for download (56 KB PDF file).
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