Article Post #1

Wilson Lundin, Rebecca. “Teaching with Wikis: Toward a Networked Pedagogy.” Computers and Composition 25 (2008): 432-48. Print.

In this article, Rebecca Wilson Lundin explains that wikis are not simply a novel for composition classes, but they also provide a tool to help composition teachers better incorporate the social constructivist pedagogies that inform many instructors’ practices. She supports her perspective by examining four key current pedagogical beliefs: “new media writing, collaboration, critical interaction, and online authority” (434).

First, regarding new media writing, she claims wikis can encourage students to approach their writing practices more thoughtfully. Most wikis offer their users a blank screen that allows for numerous means of conveying information, helping students understand “that the inclusion of multimedia elements is a rhetorical choice” (436). While the desire to include more multimedia texts is not new in composition, wikis may provide a new way to ease this transition.

Second, composition pedagogy, for at least the last twenty years, has claimed that collaborative work can greatly enhance learning for students. Yet the solitary author remains as the key figure in composition. By their very nature, wikis encourage collaborative work by allowing the users unrestricted edits. As Wilson Lundin states, “Essentially, the transparency of the technology encourages students to understand and reflect upon their collaborative activity, and reflection is an important part of negotiating collaborative work,” and she predicts such reflection will carry beyond online environments (439).

Third, wikis can encourage greater critical interaction. Recent composition theories have encouraged students to engage critically with the course material, each other, and the instructor. Because students can respond to each other in a variety of ways and in more detail, they can embrace more fully such critical interaction. Certainly, interaction isn’t always effective and some students may respond with offensive comments, but careful teacher interaction can limit these problems.

Finally, wikis challenge the control of the teacher. Recent composition pedagogies have emphasized the need to limit the traditional hierarchy of the classroom that places teachers in complete control; instead, such pedagogies encourage turning over some control to students to allow them some autonomy and responsibility in their education, which can give students a greater sense of power and control. This also helps them understand that nothing is beyond question, as wikis allow anyone to edit anything, including assignments and syllabi. But students can accidentally (or intentionally) delete material; however, page histories and community awareness from teacher and students can mitigate such problems.

I found this article to be particularly useful, especially for any composition instructors who, like myself, plan to incorporate wikis into their classes. And rather than being a how-to article or addressing wikis as simply a new tool to use, this article examines wikis in terms of pedagogical discussions currently occurring in rhetoric and composition. The author is also careful to note the potential drawbacks that come with wikis, and she notes that wikis are no panacea for pedagogical problems. Instead, the author draws reasonable conclusions about the pedagogical implications of wikis from her research and personal experiences, giving wikis greater legitimacy and not just the power of novelty.