Wikis

A wiki presents a potentially very useful tool, inasmuch as it can be easily accessed by any member of the group for whom the wiki has relevance. It presents the ability to build a growing collection of information to which anyone can add new information or edit existing information, which may include making necessary corrections as well as updating entries where required. Through its ability to incorporate the collective efforts of a group, it enables each of the group's members to contribute information.

A wiki presents a very easy to use capability which lends itself to use by almost anyone who can use a computer. To the extent that a wiki presents a means through which multiple users can easily cooperate without any specialized knowledge of the Internet or of hypertext markup languages, it presents an opportunity. Any user of the wiki can add new information or edit existing material. This strength, however, is potentially a weakness, inasmuch as it is possible for a user to unwittingly modify a perfectly correct entry in such a manner that the result is no longer correct. Additionally, it is possible that an unrestricted wiki may be susceptible to a form of online vandalism.

To reduce the likelihood of a user deliberately "trashing" or otherwise vandalizing a wiki, it is possible to impose a level of security which restricts access to the wiki to only those users who have an authorized sign-on or logon ID and password information.

Despite these weaknesses, the wiki presents great potential. Numerous users can collaborate in development efforts. Users who may not even know each other may be able to pool knowledge. Knowledge can shared among users who do not have to be available at the same time, or in the same place. In this regard, the wiki is a potentially very useful tool. For class assignments, the wiki can enable multiple participants, each at his/her own pace and choice of time, to contribute to the development of a collective work effort. This may be particularly useful for distance learning, inasmuch as the students or project participants may be hundreds or more miles away from each other, yet all are potentially able to incrementally contribute to the total knowledge base of the project or assignment.