Wikispaces for Collaborative Learning
Channel: Dr. Nellie Deutsch
Date: 24/05/2014

#wiki #education #wikispaces #collaborations #learning #collaborativelearning #onlinelearning 
In Dr. Nellie Deutsch's session, she introduces the topic of using Wikispaces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikispaces for collaboration, focusing on how educators can create, manage, and utilize wikis for teaching and learning purposes. She begins by welcoming participants and inviting them to share their location in the chat, emphasizing that the session is interactive and hands-on.

Dr. Deutsch explains that Wikispaces is a free, user-friendly platform where users can collaborate on projects, write books, or conduct research. She highlights the versatility of the platform, stating that it can be used for courses, family projects, and even collaborative book writing. Wikispaces allows multiple users to edit and contribute to pages, making it ideal for collaborative work.

Throughout the session, Dr. Deutsch walks participants through the process of creating a wiki page, adding content, and embedding videos or files. She demonstrates how to use the editing features, including adding widgets, hyperlinks, and video embeds from platforms like YouTube. She encourages participants to practice by creating their own pages in the shared wiki and emphasizes that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

She also discusses the differences between a wiki and a blog, explaining that while a blog is controlled by one person, a wiki allows multiple users to edit the same content. Wikispaces provides a space for collaboration where participants can view, edit, and interact with each other's contributions.

Dr. Deutsch invites participants to experiment with the platform, offering guidance on how to organize pages, add multimedia content, and utilize the various features available in Wikispaces. She also provides support to those encountering technical issues and encourages ongoing collaboration beyond the session.

In conclusion, she highlights the potential of Wikispaces as a powerful educational tool for promoting teamwork, collaboration, and interactive learning, encouraging participants to continue exploring and using the platform in their educational practice.