Using wikis as tools for learning is a new and evolving social practice. If Wikiversity is to succeed, we need to learn how to make the best use of wikis for learning. This project aims to be an exemplar of how a wiki can be used for learning and to refine, develop and expand on the social practice of using wikis for learning. See Learning to learn a wiki way.
The Wikiversity model for online learning
"Learning by doing" is a slogan that captures the intent of the Wikiversity "e-learning model". The Wikiversity e-learning model was developed in response to a request by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and it was included in the approved Wikiversity project proposal.
At Wikiversity a general term that we can use for educational content is "learning resource". So far, learning resources have been roughly divided into learning projects and learning materials.
It is the goal of some Wikiversity participants to create a vast collection of static learning materials, many of which could be downloaded and used by conventional bricks-and-mortar schools, or by self-study students. This is still a major goal of Wikiversity - to provide a repository of learning resources, with lesson plans on how they could be used, and feedback from students and teachers about how we would evaluate these resources in fulfilling their needs.
However, in terms of developing a Wikiversity model for learning, what Wikiversity needs now is a collection of exciting learning projects that will attract wiki participants. If we can engage Wikipedia participants in projects that they are interested in, then the learning materials will accumulate as a by-product of those projects. Here is a familiar example of how participation in a wiki project leads to the production of learning materials.....read more.....
