WITTIE:About
From WITTIE
Contents |
The Basics
At WiTTIE, our primary goal is to make wikis work for all sorts of educators. We've seen the power wikis can have to change the dynamics of a learning environment and result in powerful student learning; however, lots of the things about wikis we've worked with in the past don't mesh well with educators' specific needs. Because of this fact, only a small number of educators are incorporating wikis into their instruction.
More Specifically
Wiki Templates Transforming Instructional Environments (WiTTIE) helps teachers and students easily create and assess original Wiki-based texts. Text templates enable teachers to generate text scaffolds within which students can add content. Assessment templates transform grading criteria into rubrics and rating systems used to evaluate the developed text. Data analysis templates compile qualitative and quantitative assessment data gleaned from the assessment instruments to analyze performance at the individual and class level. A user-friendly interface makes it easy for all users to enter and edit content. WiTTIE will be developed through the piloting of two very different case examples. Students in an undergraduate education course will collaboratively write and evaluate successive editions of a textbook for their foundations of education course. Classes of k-12 students from around the world will create multi-media chapters describing their local environments in a global Wikitext on communities. Feedback and data from these two models will be used to refine WiTTIE resulting in a product ready for use by many types of teachers in widely varied learning environments.
WiTTIE will improve the utility of existing Wiki applications by:
-Enhancing editing functions so users can readily upload content created in word-processing applications.
-Developing three types of templates:
- Text. Teachers enter chapter titles and topics and the text scaffold is automatically generated and ready for
content.
- Assessment. By defining performance criteria, users automatically generate grading rubrics and rating protocols
allowing users to provide qualitative and quantitative feedback to student authors.
- Data Analysis. Teachers can quickly analyze qualitative and quantitative assessment data at the individual and
class level. Students can access individual data to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Goals for 2009-2010
Revamp existing Wiki software and build three types of Wiki templates: text, assessment, and data analysis Pilot WiTTIE in two environments:
- Students in an undergraduate education course will collaboratively write and evaluate successive editions of a textbook for their foundations of education course.
- Classes of k-12 students from around the world will create multi-media chapters describing their local environments in a global Wikitext on communities.
- Use feedback and data from these two models to refine the WiTTIE interface and functionality.
WiTTIE Funding Agents
WiTTIE is funded through 31 May, 2010 by the MacArthur Foundation and by HASTAC.
