A Framework for Assessing the Pedagogical Effectiveness of Wiki-Based Collaborative Writing: Results and Implications

Due to the new possibilities they open up for collaborative writing in education, wikis have received much attention the last few years. As a result, teachers have used wikis to achieve various educational purposes, such as wikis for online courses, teacher evaluation, or class project. However, the novelty and popularity of a technology do not automatically imply its suitability in educational settings. To evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of wiki-based collaborative writing, there is a need for a theoretical framework that focuses on three essential elements of wikis and their relationships: technology, content, and group work. The framework was used to assess students’ perceptions of wiki-based collaborative writing. Even though the results achieved so far are not as satisfactory as expected, the framework provides a promising way of looking at collaborative writing activities in a wiki-based environment. Based, on the results, the article reports on pedagogical implications of using wikis as collaborative writing tools in teacher education.