Wiki-based interventions

A curriculum design for collaborative learning

Abstract

This paper reports on the first phase of a wiki-based project in higher education in Thailand. The wiki innovation was focused on promoting collaborative learning. Previous literature on wikis shows that merely using a wiki, without teachers' support and without critical consideration of the approach to teaching and learning, does not impact significantly on the nature of student collaboration and hence on learning. This paper discusses the nature and value of the design based research for the development of interventions implemented in the wiki project to promote collaborative learning. These interventions focused on shifting thinking, learning and knowing in designing activities which responded to practical problems of wiki use. Discussion is provided on the benefits of design based research, and in particular the interplay between teacher and learner that impacted on the design for students' collaborative learning.