BingWiki Advice

From BingWiki

(We can place here advice about good suggestions for using our wiki, as it's currently configured (apart from using BingWiki for documentation.))

Case Western Reserve's University wiki has a number of suggestions for using a wiki at Ways to use a wiki. Another source of good ideas is to look at the ways other University-based wikis listed at Other Wikis are being used by their respective communities.

Re: Academic (and research) use of the wiki. It's best NOT to use a wiki for academic work (resources, homework help/answers, some online resource guides etc.) and some specific research communications (proposals about specific research collaboration) due to ethical and copyright concerns.

Consider the following potential problem scenarios:

• Starting off with what seems like a good idea: An instructor places answers/hints about homework for his/her course on a wiki. A sharp (web savvy) student recognizes a mistake (a typo perhaps), or realizes that certain other web-based resources may be more up-to-date. The student places the suggested change on the main wiki page article (rather than the discussion page). The instructor is pleased with the 'correction/update' and so does not prohibit students from making changes to the course's Homework Hint page. The unintended consequence: later in the semester (or academic year) a group of students decides to study together, a group that likes using the wiki (Perhaps they belong to a social group that uses the wiki for communications, promotion and announcements, because they're easier to maintain than web pages.) The instructor decides at some point that the homework hints are too helpful and starts to suspect that the student group is 'sharing' the homework load by taking turns working on the assignments. The unintended consequence is that the instructor has lost the ability to validly assess his/her students independently (because of an efficiency that he/she initially promoted). In addition, some administrators or department heads may become upset that certain content (now on the web) is available to any student whether they are enrolled in a course or not (intellectual property control is lost). A more appropriate forum for course content is on a wiki that is limited to only individuals enrolled in the class (and those assisting with the class, as determined by the instructor). Blackboard offers such a wiki space.

• Starting off again with what seems like a good idea (a simpler scenario): an instructor posts the time and place for a quiz or review session for a large class. A student/graduate assistant (who may or may not be the head teaching assistant, possibly an administrative staff person, or student who's faculty advisor is in another department) notices that the room needs to be changed. He/she posts the change on the wiki. ... Consequence:No one knows who saw the change or whether the change was intentional from proper authorities. A directed uni-directional broadcast (like an email) is the best medium for late-breaking announcements.

• A researcher comes up with a good idea. Another researcher (unknown to the original one) likes the idea and runs with it (promotes it more efficiently) ... modifies the original idea, on the wiki with his/her enhanced proposal. Other researchers flock to the newer (better idea). The original researcher claims copyright rights based on the original post. Consequence: a nightmare for wiki administrators re-creating the original posts and for policy/decision makers deciding between the two contending intellectuals.

Advice: if you're writing something on the wiki, you are giving it away.