WIKIPedia

What is WIKIPedia?

“WIKIPedia is an online encyclopaedia that allows anyone to update a particular topic that they may have knowledge on (WIKIPedia, ). In every search that is done at the bottom of the page is a list of references that were used to construct the definition of each topic. Although anyone can update a topic there is strict guidelines as to how to update/contribute to the topics. This helps to keep untrue facts from being entered onto the site. There are a number of sister projects that run parallel to Wikipedia, these include:

Wikipedia Free encyclopedia

Wikiquote Collection of quotations

Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus

Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals

Wikisource Free source documents

Wikinews Free content news source

Commons Shared media repository

Wikispecies Directory of species

Wikiversity Free learning materials

(WIKIPedia, 2009)

Theory and classroom uses for ClassMarker

Siemens’ Connectivism Theory (2004), explains that the cycle of knowledge development allows learners to remain current in their field through connections being made. Wikipedia directly relates to this theory as it allows anyone to edit and add appropriate information to a particular topic and therefore builds on the connections being made.

WIKIPedia is a fast way for a student to get some background information on a topic. A teacher could recommend this site to students so that they can get a start to researching something however I wouldn’t recommend on using just a WIKIPedia page as basis for the knowledge. Each Wiki site is unique in their own way and is a good starting point for researching any particular topic.

References

Broughton, J (2008), Wikipedia – the Missing Manual, O’Reilly Media, United States of America.

Siemens, G. (2004), Connectivism: A learning theory for the Digital Age; Citing computer references, viewed 4th August 2009, http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivesm.htm

Wikipedia (2009), Wikipedia, viewed 4th September 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia