Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 42 Number 1: Fall 2009

Wiki as a Collaborative Learning Tool in a Language Arts Methods Class

Kathryn I. Matthew and Emese Felvegi
University of Houston—Clear Lake

Rebecca A. Callaway
Arkansas Tech University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how contributing to a class wiki affected the learning of preservice teachers enrolled in a language arts methods class. Participants included 37 preservice teachers enrolled in three sections of a field-based language arts methods class during two semesters. Data collection included online observations of the development of the wiki pages, students' reflections periodically posted in WebCT, final reflections, e-mail correspondence, interview transcripts, and researcher notes. Students' reflections indicate that contributing to the class wiki led to a deeper processing of the course content and was personally beneficial to the students in spite of persistent technology challenges.

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Contributors

Kathryn I. Matthew is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Houston—Clear Lake and director of the Greater Houston Area Writing Project. (Address: Kathryn I. Matthew, EdD, University of Houston—Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Mail Code 306, Houston, TX 77058; E-mail: matthew@uhcl.edu)

Emese Felvegi is a consultant for the Department of Assessment and Evaluation at the Educational Authority of Hungary and a graduate student at the University of Houston—Clear Lake. (Address: Emese Felvegi, University of Houston—Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Mail Code 306, Houston, TX 77058; E-mail: felvgei@yahoo.com)

Rebecca A. Callaway is an assistant professor in the School of Education at Arkansas Tech University. (Address: Rebecca A. Callaway, EdD, Arkansas Tech University, 104 Crabaugh Hall, Russellville, AR 72801; E-mail: rcallaway@atu.edu)