Enhancing one’s virtual learning environment with Wiki tools.

Without a clear understanding of the transformed classroom, and how everything has a purpose within that classroom, teachers are taken hither and yon, finding fantastic applications, but not fitting them into a comprehensive, understood, learning environment.  

In the February 2009 issue of Learning & Leading with Technology, Don Hall says “I can’t keep pace with the need to adapt and change my current practices.”[ Hall, Don (2009).Web 2.0 or tidal wave 2.0?. Learning & Leading with Technology. 36, 10. ]  In that same issue you can read this large title:  “Transforming Education Through Online Learning.”[ Young, Julie, Birtolo, Pam, and MdElman, Raven (2009).Virtual Success Transforming education through online learning. Learning & Leading with Technology. 36, 12.].  Move forward another 5 pages and you will read “…teachers now have another skill set to master – designing online courses.” [Davis, Gerry and Dick, Donna (2009).Making the switch. Learning & Leading with Technology. 36, 18. ] As Don Hall articulates, teachers are inundated with a “tidal wave of new technologies associated with Web 2.0.” [Hall,10]

All of this is pretty scary stuff to a new teacher who walks into a brick and mortar building and is guided to a box with desks and told to teach.  It is even scarier to a teacher who has already managed students in that “box” for decades. “Change”? “Transform”? “Web 2.0”? Whew.

To me, the problem can be expressed this way:  We are trying to give teachers a nice set of new appliances before they have a kitchen!  Let me explain.

Teachers today are challenged to change practices using new tools without a comprehensive view of the place in which they work.  Staff development has been guided by the “latest and greatest” uses of hardware and software, and is often driven by the literature, by a cadre of experienced educators who have found success in changing their own practices, or by technology coordinators steeped in “new things”. We hear of Web 2.0 tools, of Open Source approaches, and, often, of the disappearance of the classroom as we know it today.  

The emphasis seems to be on the software and hardware tools and usage practices, not on the environment and “place”.  Without a clear understanding of the transformed classroom, and how everything has a purpose within that classroom, teachers are taken hither and yon, finding fantastic applications, but not fitting them into a comprehensive, understood, learning environment.  

Don talks of the challenges of all the new tools. The writers of “Virtual Success” talk of an environment that is totally detached from the present classroom- and the present school district.  The “Making the Switch” article outlines many procedures that help “switch” content and process from a face to face environment to an online environment within a school district. What is a teacher in a “bricks and mortar” classroom to take away from these fine writings?

I think: confusion.  That “bricks and mortar” teacher cannot wait for the transformation. That teacher must be PART of the transformation.  He or she needs to clearly identify what is happening within the existing environment and try to translate that into something else, while at the same time creating citizens who live in a virtual learning environment that has no structure at home. (Some exceptional parents do exist, such as Will Richardson, who understands the nature of new learning networks intimately and has a deep knowledge of the stages of growth of a child in general.  Will expresses frustration because he must leave his children with teachers who do not yet understand as he does the changes they must make!)  

The missing link is that teachers need to be able to place some parts of their existing environment into the virtual world of the Web. This means that each teacher must be challenged to understand the workings of a “today” classroom, understand the nature of the new Web 2.0 tools available, and THEN WORK THESE INTO A PLAN FOR CREATING A MANAGED AND VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT TRANSFORMS THE EXISTING “BRICKS AND MORTAR” ENVIRONMENT.  

This idea of a virtual learning environment that a teacher builds and manages is not new.    It has been functionally defined in literature for a decade, and is placed into practice throughout the United Kingdom, where the educational institutions distinguish between the real classroom, the “virtual learning environment”, and the “managed” learning environment.

From a 2005 document archived by BECTA at http://foi.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=15963

A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a standardised, computer-based environment that supports the delivery of web-based learning and facilitates on-line interaction between students and teachers. A VLE might consist of a variety of components designed both to assist in conventional classroom learning as well as support distance learners gaining remote access to an institution’s course and assessment materials. Functions and activities offered and supported by a VLE might include:

·         importing and/or creating course materials

·         the delivery of course materials

·         on-line interactions between students and tutors

·         on-line tracking and assessment of students’ progress.

VLEs are generally browser-based, providing teachers, students and parents with easy access from any computer with an internet connection. Most browser-based systems are password-protected to offer a secure, closed environment and to prevent unauthorised third-party access. Some products may require additional software such as plug-ins or CD-ROMs on end users' computers in order to access digitally-held course materials. Applications such as word processing, presentation and spreadsheet tools may also be required for carrying out on-line class activities or assignments generated via the system.

MLEs include the whole range of an institution’s information systems and processes (including its VLE if it has one) and relate more to the totality of an institution’s processes and standards, rather than to individual products and tools.

Yet in the United States, we will often hear of creating web pages or a web presence; we read about all-online courses; and we are challenged to use blogs, wikis, podcasts, and more. All this is provided to teachers who don’t clearly understand the totality of a “virtual learning environment” that represents the learning “place” we manage beyond the “real” classroom.  

We struggle to go to one URL for a wiki tool, another URL for a blog tool, yet another URL for our State Standards and content. We have varied amorphous environments without clear delineation, and must struggle with protecting younger students in open access environments, help them (and us!) manage multiple usernames and passwords, and all this with often disconnected objectives kept somewhere else (curriculum mapping software, online state standards lists).  While some teachers will use a local “web page” to bring some external links together, often this is not within a clearly delineated virtual learning environment, but rather as a “collecting place” with limited control,  little management, and unusual amounts of time trying to create and manage links to tools outside the environment.

I believe, fervently, that each teacher I encounter should be able to clearly identify the “virtual learning environment” that he or she employs to transform existing practices into new skills and procedures. The teacher should be able to state how such an environment will sustain and extend the learning  introduced and managed within the walls of the classroom.  Every teacher should be able to plan, build, and manage such a place using clear authentication for students so that all learners – including the teacher- can work with digital materials purchased or created for a specific group of students, and post student outcomes without fear of undesirable outside contact.  Likewise, when appropriate, this environment should allow for outside contact and an extended audience.

I introduce these concepts because I am deeply involved with many fine educators who are studying and learning about new tools for learning and their applications.  David Jakes, Will Richardson, David Warlick and a host of others have followed the path from the classroom to the lecture circuit, where they impart their knowledge of the tools of learning, and espouse many large ideas regarding the changing nature of our learning environments.  They will discuss personal learning networks and how each learner must become self-directed as he/she matures.  Their ideas have guided me and I use RSS feeds to monitor what they write.  They are where I learn. But I believe they offer up fine dishwashers, excellent state-of the art stoves, and wonderful refrigerators  - but struggle to explain the learning “kitchens” in which we cook!  

I would like to suggest that we connect their ideas of “Web 2.0” and “Web 2.0 Tools” with the concept of a defined virtual learning environment.  To discuss this as concretely as possible, I would like to take just ONE of the many Web 2.0 tools these writers identify - the “Wiki” - and discuss this valuable new tool as it fits into a “Virtual Learning Environment” that I provide for many teachers in New York State.

In particular, I provide a managed and authenticated virtual learning environment using tools provided by Blackboard [Hyperlink:  http://blackboard.com ], Learning Objects [Hyperlink:  http://www.learningobjects.com] and Wimba [Hyperlink:  http://www.wimba.com ].  I could have provided a similar environment using other systems such as Angel [Hyperlink: http://angellearning.com ] or Moodle [Hyperlink: http://moodle.org ] but I had an early relationship with Blackboard which originated at Cornell, an institution located in my K-12 service area.   Each of the aforementioned systems provides a suite of tools that can be used in multiple ways to meet learning objectives.  

While teachers cannot hope to master and apply every tool available to them through these systems, they give teachers the ability to select and employ the correct tool for a given task at hand.  Using authentication (password protection), allows teachers to interact with students and deliver content in ways not allowed on the open web due to local community norms (we have to protect the youngest!) or National law (Fair Use allows us to provide digital copies ONLY to our “authenticated” classroom participants.)

The virtual learning environment created using these systems becomes the context for managed learning beyond a teacher’s physical classroom.   Teachers are able to employ Web 2.0 tools within this context for a defined audience. While one can still link outward to various URLs providing such tools, controlling them within the system creates links to integrated management tools supplied by these systems.  Thus a teacher has much more management capabilities for student grouping and data collection for assessment.  While this might in some ways violate the “Open” nature of a wiki established to hold the sum of all human knowledge (Wikipedia, as explained by Jimmy Wales! [Hyperlink:  http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia... ], it can, in a controlled way, enable us to introduce the operations of the tool, and allow students to manipulate it as they prepare for work within future “kitchens” provided by employers or colleges.

The nature of a wiki is to allow people to create information collaboratively while simultaneously identifying who created what parts of the whole and how much of the whole.  This ability to use the power of computer technology to quantify the amount of work done by each individual in a collaborative effort is unparalleled in education.  

When assigning conventional group projects, teachers rarely see EXACTLY what was added by each participant into a project.  This underlying data collection capability in a wiki, adds a sense of responsibility that occurs when project participants know someone sees everything done.  This needs to be experienced by students.  Then they become prepared for work that can take place virtually, perhaps over long distances, often within shifting work groups.  They have learned to use a new “appliance”. 

As such a tool, the wiki is still foreign to many K-12 educators, whose brief exposure to the toolset is “Wikipedia”.  While more teachers are beginning to experience wiki tools such as Wikispaces [Hyperlink: http://wikispaces.com ] and PBwiki [Hyperlink: http://pbwiki.com ], these are often used in limited ways, with no context linking them to other digital activities and collections.  Integrating them within classroom activities wherein the tool becomes a MEANS rather than the end is difficult to demonstrate without clearly establishing the larger context first.

One main purpose of this writing then, is to show how the tool called a “wiki” has been applied in several very meaningful ways by teachers who extend the learning in their real brick-and-mortar environment using a clearly understood and managed virtual learning environment.  These teachers understand the nature of a wiki “appliance”, and use it uniquely to engage students while they (the teachers!) manage their work through its unique features.  Read on to meet these creative leaders, and look to their models.   As you do, make careful note of the context in which they work.

First, meet Rob L.

Rob is a secondary social studies teacher who teaches at West Genesee High School. Rob is a very experienced educator who employs technologies in many ways to foster learning.  Within his building, Rob teaches AP World History, 9th Grade Global History and Geography, and even a Syracuse University Project Advance Public Affairs course.  He uses his virtual learning environment to extend classroom hours, and wherever possible encourages paperless activities.  Two of his practices are particularly notable in that they are not commonly thought of as “wiki” activities unless you understand the nature of the tool. Obviously, Rob does.

The first activity Rob took to the wiki tool was a shared assignment.   

In the past, this was a worksheet that students would take home and complete based upon research done using textbooks, other paper resources, and online sites.  This completed worksheet was, historically, brought to class for discussion and collected to see that each was contributing.  To change this practice, Rob created the assignment within a Word document, being sure to include his evaluation/rubric as a checklist on page one of the document. He kept the font styles and presentation simple at this stage because he was going to copy and paste it into his created project “wiki” where he could then tweak the presentation a bit.

The Learning Objects wiki tools that are installed within the Blackboard environment enable a teacher to create individual “wiki” projects as well as a whole-class wiki.  The user management accompanying the learning environment allows the teacher to create groups based on selected criteria.  Rob created multiple groups, basing his groups upon students he had clustered for other more conventional projects.  He changes these groupings according to the task he assigns.

Rob pasted the text of his first worksheet into each group’s “wiki” and set the task to have them complete the assignment together within a given window of time.  At the end of this time, he inserted commentary directly since he establishes himself as a member of each group.  Using a reserved color – a red “pen” if you will – he adds commentary similar to conventional assessment practice.   He completes the top rubric section, in context, while reviewing the history that is directly shown to him or his students through a sidebar clickable link.  In this way he can evaluate quality of content added by each student.  He enters his “control panel” and uses an “Assess Wikis” function that lists each individual wiki along with every member and a report of the quantity of content added.  This is reported for each contributing student as a percentage of the whole, as well as the number of lines added.  Students know he can do this, so they must discuss and work together to see that their work is done with each individual contributing his or her share of the work.

The history, combined with the wiki assessment tool, gives Rob the ability to judge both the quality and quantity of work contributed.  More importantly, his method of delivering “worksheets” allows the students to become engaged in the process of learning on their own time OUTSIDE of the classroom, but not in isolation.  Discussions within the classroom can then be more focused and guided by what has been done outside - together.  Rob no longer has to handle paper, and students have multiple opportunities to understand the nature of collaborative work. Rob’s students learn quickly that this is not an escape from homework, but a different way of working together that reflects many workplaces they may join, as well as future educational experiences they will most likely have!

The second activity Rob provided through the wiki toolset was what he termed “Wikinotes”.

These were set up for his 9th grade students to use.  Here, he took his textbook chapter subheadings and placed them within the left-hand cell of a table in a wiki page.  He created student groups and assigned each group the task of reading multiple chapters and placing “notes” within a right-hand cell for the subtopics.  He offered his 9th graders the option of doing the note-taking on paper as in the past or within the “Wikinotes” area of their virtual learning environment.  He commented:  “My freshmen are eating this stuff up.  I offered the wiki notes as an option to traditional pen and paper....they ALL use it!”  Furthermore, he found that they voluntarily developed methods to distribute the work fairly so each contributed to chosen sections.

Each of these uses were NOT what I expected when I assigned the wiki tools to Rob and asked him to apply them creatively.  His move from the traditional to the new tasks was grounded in his present practice, but he initiated new practices that allowed him to accomplish his goals without a great deal of extra effort, with a great savings of paper, and with an engaging means of introducing students to new methods of collaborating on projects.

Next, meet  Matt T.

Matt is a 6th grade teacher. He works in a team environment wherein he is the “social studies” expert while also teaching English-Language Arts skills.  Because he works in a team environment, his concern was to not only apply wiki tools for his assigned students, but to enable his students to work with students from other teachers’  teams.

Like Rob, Matt was offered the wiki tools and asked to apply them in any way he thought would help his students.  He proposed two efforts.  

His first was to establish a class project within the social studies area for his assigned team of 150 students.  

He established a template wiki page containing a number of key topics related to the study of the Roman Empire.  He then discussed the wiki tools with his students.  He offered them an option to do a wiki report rather than individual written reports for one portion of their program of learning.  All wanted to do this, so he established groups of from 2 to 4 students and provided the wiki “shell” to each group.

As the groups commenced, he taught them to add images and change text.  Teaching the in-line text editor to the students was a more focused task than with the high school students Rob dealt with since Matt’s 6th grade students weren’t totally comfortable yet with online editing.  Once he taught them how to change text color and place images, they began to take over.  Since these were middle school students, their first efforts were more focused on the use of the editing tools and the presentation.  In other words.. they fooled around with every editing tool first.  The students’ first efforts are rudimentary. Matt explained  “They are a bit basic as of now, as the wiki is not due until 2/11/09.  But for 12 year olds I think they are getting the hang of it!”

A review of the student efforts indicates they next need to learn to make and link to sub pages rather than create a lengthy vertical document. Matt is teaching and modeling this now!

Matt’s second use of the wiki is to build and share a catalog of recommended books to read.  

Since he also taught reading skills along with his colleagues in other teams, he wanted a way to let students build and share a catalog of reviewed books.  Instead of twice-monthly paper book reports, he had been successfully using blog tools for students to write chapter by chapter reflections on the readings they were doing.  This encouraged much more writing across the month than previous paper-based reports, and Matt has successfully presented this outcome to several local literacy groups.  How, he wondered, could he now use a wiki tool to foster more reading among his students, focusing on motivation to foster an ongoing and in-depth written reading response?  [Matt has also used podcasting within this environment, but that would be yet another article!]

What Matt chose to do was to create a classroom learning environment in which EVERY sixth grade student and ALL sixth grade teachers were enrolled.  This combined all team members, including student members and teacher colleagues, into one controlled context.  In this environment, shared, a wiki could now be set up as a reading “club” with students encouraged or assigned to contribute across the complete grade level.

At the time of this writing, the “club” has not yet been turned on. The concept of a student-driven but teacher-observed project listing books that middle school students recommend is not new. But the environment is localized and students often know each other.  Creating the wiki this way creates a local context wherein student names and identifications are available across a grade level, and interactions can be fostered within this defined reading community.

I will be observing how this works soon.

The third model,  Mary P. and Kathy D.

Mary and Kathy teach high school English courses at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, including Regents and Honors 9th grade English and AP English.  They teach many traditional topics, and came to the wiki project with an open but skeptical view.  Both eventually implemented numerous projects which they placed into their individual virtual learning environments.

Several projects related to a topic everyone who has taken high school English has encountered:  Shakespeare.  Mary and Kathy had taught Shakespeare for many years, and wondered how a wiki site could be used to enhance or change students’ work with Shakespeare material?  What activities could be useful to their students?

After some false starts and a few short experiments, they learned to create hyperlinks within the wiki tools provided. They then set up one extra credit project called the “interactive Prologue”.  They started the project by copying and pasting a selected prologue to Romeo and Juliet and then asked students to find and link external resources that explained terms or phrases they thought needed clarification.

Another task they set was to ask students to collaboratively build a “Works Cited” listing for their Romeo and Juliet studies.  They directed the students this way:  “The works cited need to follow MLA citation guidelines (see Hornet Style Book; you can also use Word to create your citation, and then copy it into the wiki).”

Further, the teachers created a “Binaries” project.  Here are its directions:

1. Binaries are pairs of opposites, such as young/old, love/hate, black/white (or Montague/Capulet). Make a list of  binaries that occur in Romeo and Juliet.

2. Make hypertext links to new pages, on which you include examples.

    Other projects that are evident on Mary’s and Kathy’s sites include

1.    A “Slang dictionary”

2.    “Wikistories” developed collaboratively

3.    A McSweeney’s List Wiki  (http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/)

4.    Most Important Events of 2008

5.    Personal Biographies

6.    Wiki Guide to Vermeer (after reading Girl in Hyacinth Blue)

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One other aspect of each teacher’s wiki work involves the addition by students of “embed” codes. Using this capability, students have been able to create work in some online sites such as Voicethread   [Hyperlink: http://voicethread.com ] and TeacherTube [Hyperlink: http://teachertube.com ] and use copied code (“embed code”) to link directly to that work as part of their collaborative projects.  Unfortunately, those students who tried this with their Facebook accounts had less than stellar results due to district filtering.  Also, some codes didn’t work well, a fact passed on directly to staff from both the embed code originator site as well as the Learning Objects support site.

Mary and Kathy provide us with many ideas that fit within their classrooms, but extend beyond it for students to work collaboratively and without paper, but still as part of their “classroom”.

In conclusion, I would like to reinforce that we should challenge EVERY teacher to either define his/her virtual learning environment or to set goals for creating such a “place”.  Then they can begin to use new tools in such a way that the focus is on the primary learning task, not the “how to” of the tool itself.  Teaching them wikis, blogging, or podcasting outside of a defined context does not encourage them to consider a meaningful learning and working environment in which those fine tools could be employed.  While this writing focused on one model application, it could be followed by similar discussions of blogs, or podcasting in similar circumstances.. by these same teachers.

By discussing existing classrooms, new Web 2.0 tools AND virtual learning environments together, we will be able to provide both changing practices and new learning experiences to both our student and teacher learners.  

Let’s understand the function of each “appliance” and then place it in a thoughtfully designed “kitchen”!  

By Dan Lake

Dan Lake is a Systems Consultant with the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES in Syracuse.