Wikipedia is a free web based encyclopaedia written by volunteers from all around the world. Almost all Wikipedia articles are able to be adapted by users (Wikipedia, 2009). The problem with this being that it is not a reliable source for information as anyone can go on an edit the topic to talk about anything they wish. Because anyone can access editing rights on Wikipedia pages, it makes it a hot topic of discussion on education as to weather Wikipedia is useful for learning or just a hindrance.
I have used Wikipedia many times before as I found this e-learning tool to be a very quick and simple way to gather an understanding of a topic. The thing is that I am very weary of what I believe, but I do use this site to gather a basic understanding.
I remember back when I was a little girl and we had the Britannica Encyclopaedia collection. Before the internet was available at the drop of a hat, I used to have to research by looking things up in the good old hard cover encyclopaedia. This became frustrating because there was only one section on the subject and if I wanted additional information, off I had to ride on my bike to the public library.
Now that Wikipedia is available to me with ease, I tend to opt for that option. However, I think that if it were to be used in the classroom environment, then the students would need to be aware of how it is not an academic resource. 'Because Wikipedia is open to collaborative editing and can be edited anonymously, assessments of its reliability usually include examinations of how quickly false or misleading information is removed (Wikipedia, 2009).'
A few weeks ago, a studetn in the class came up to me and told me that people live on mars. I asked her how she received this information and she went on to tell me she got it from Wikipedia. The site she received it from looked professional and like it was a reliable resource, however it opened a large discussion with the rest of the class questioning different websites reliability. Now I don’t think those year sevens will enter their high school years relying on Wikipedia.
Until next time,
Amy
References:
Wikipedia (2009) Reliability of Wikipedia. Viewed on 18/08/09 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia
Wikipedia (2009) Wikipedia. Viewed on 18/08/09 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia
I have used Wikipedia many times before as I found this e-learning tool to be a very quick and simple way to gather an understanding of a topic. The thing is that I am very weary of what I believe, but I do use this site to gather a basic understanding.
I remember back when I was a little girl and we had the Britannica Encyclopaedia collection. Before the internet was available at the drop of a hat, I used to have to research by looking things up in the good old hard cover encyclopaedia. This became frustrating because there was only one section on the subject and if I wanted additional information, off I had to ride on my bike to the public library.
Now that Wikipedia is available to me with ease, I tend to opt for that option. However, I think that if it were to be used in the classroom environment, then the students would need to be aware of how it is not an academic resource. 'Because Wikipedia is open to collaborative editing and can be edited anonymously, assessments of its reliability usually include examinations of how quickly false or misleading information is removed (Wikipedia, 2009).'
A few weeks ago, a studetn in the class came up to me and told me that people live on mars. I asked her how she received this information and she went on to tell me she got it from Wikipedia. The site she received it from looked professional and like it was a reliable resource, however it opened a large discussion with the rest of the class questioning different websites reliability. Now I don’t think those year sevens will enter their high school years relying on Wikipedia.
Until next time,
Amy
References:
Wikipedia (2009) Reliability of Wikipedia. Viewed on 18/08/09 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia
Wikipedia (2009) Wikipedia. Viewed on 18/08/09 from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia
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