SWOT ANALYSIS FOR USE OF WIKIS IN THE CLASSROOM

STRENGTHS –

·          - It’s a free database and easy to use

·        -  Can have more than one author therefore allowing a whole class to participate and add to the discussion and its content

·        -  Images, videos and links etc. can be added by anyone to allow further reading materials for students to look at

·         - Information can be shared worldwide

·        -  Able to manage security settings that only allow members of the wiki to post to it

·        -  Allows teachers to track  the participation of students

·        -  Available to use both at school and home

·         - It’s a great way for students to work together and collaborate on group assignments or group tasks without having face to face meetings

·         - Enhances students reading, writing and computer skills

·         - It supports the Constructivism learning theory and provides higher order thinking skills

·         - Able to create new pages for new discussion, ideas or tasks

·         - Students are able to reflect on each other’s learning

WEAKNESSES –

·         - Only one person can be editing the page at one time

·        -  Editing requires some practice because if you don’t save you can lose information

·         - Anyone can add and delete information

·         - The accuracy information posted being legit cannot always be assumed

·        -  Images, videos and information can be inserted without the knowledge of the owner which can result in plagiarism. Legal, safe and ethical guidelines should be discussed with students to ensure they are using material correctly

·         - Not suitable for younger students

·         - Difficult to monitor correct editing

OPPORTUNITIES –

·         - Offers the opportunity to collaborate with students from other schools

·         - Teachers are also able to learn from students postings

·         - Teachers are able to upload activities for students to complete online

·         - Great tool to use when using scaffolds such as PMI, SWOT and de Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats etc. as it’s a way for all students to be able to contribute

·         - Great for teacher collaboration

THREATS –

·         - Anyone is able to change or edit content unless proper security settings are put into place

·          - Information available to students on the web needs to be monitored to ensure students aren’t exposed to sexually explicit, offensive or dangerous materials

·         - Etiquette of discussions need to be addressed

·         - Risk of harassment, cyber bullying and stranger danger