Monday, August 20, 2007

Wiki Replaces Textbook

Gerald Kane, A Boston College professor, has replaced his course textbook with a wiki he and his students write and edit. Quote from the article in Computer World:

"[The wiki] has become a really robust tool and has changed the way I teach, primarily because it means I am more of a guide to them rather than a lecturer," Kane said. "My job is to teach them how to navigate this information on the Web. The wiki is now the basis and the platform on which my class is based."

Read the full article here.

I think it's interesting that Kane says that his job is to teach his students "how to navigate information on the Web." I think many librarians see this as part of the library's role, too.

The authority of wikis and especially Wikipedia have been the cause of some pretty serious debate.

If you're interested in this topic, you should check out previous posts by Kathy Lowe here
and here.

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