Group Collaboration the Wiki Way

A wiki, according to that most famous wiki, Wikipedia, is a web application that allows multiple editors to add, remove, and edit content. In short, they are great tools for group collaborations in which many people need to co-create documents.

There are quite a few (read, tons!) of wikis*. Some are quite easy to use (e.g., PBWiki, Wikispaces, and Stikipad) and others are a bit more challenging (e.g., Wikispot, Wikidot, and @Wiki). Some have just a few basic features (basic if you are used to high-powered wikis such as those that use media wiki); others are quite robust and include things like basic content management features (Cospire comes to mind) or include a blog (e.g., Netcipia)

So, how do you choose? Well, ask yourself a few basic questions:

1. Is this a brief wiki encounter or do you have long-term plans? If this is just a small or short-lived project, go with PBWiki, Wikispaces, or Stikipad. Otherwise, invest a bit of time to learn Wikispot, Wikidot, or @Wiki because they have much more robust management features.
2. Are your users tech-savvy or do they just need a simple tool to get the job done? If they’re not particularly tech-savvy, go with PBWiki or Wikispaces. They’re more friendly to use.
3. Do you want to be able to embed video, audio, and some widgets? If so, go with any of the ones listed below except Stikipad.

*Note: For this post, I’m only writing about wikis that have free hosting services and are not specialized (e.g. Google Docs); however, if you’re the intrepid type, you can always go the host-your-own route - see the Wiki Matrix to find something that works for you.

Try ‘em Out
In order to really know which wiki works for you, you have to each one for a test spin. Of course, some folks don’t like to create all those new accounts to find just the right tool - that’s why you read this blog, right? Anyway, I’ve gone ahead and created several different wikis for you to test out without (in most cases) having to create an account! All of them are related to using wikis in higher education, so be prepared to write down an idea or two! Thanks!

• PBWiki (password - wihe-guest)
• Stikipad
• Wikispaces
• Wikispot
• Wikidot
• Netcipia
• Cospire (must create login to edit)

Further resources

• Wiki Matrix - A great tool to help you compare wikis and narrow down the field so you can find the wiki that is most suitable for your needs.

• 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis - an EDUCAUSE article that gives a nice summary about wikis.

• Wiki in Education - A list of articles written about wikis and their use in education.