EDUCAUSE | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; and Wiki

Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World: A Report to the OCLC Membership

ckeller — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:11:59 -0500

The practice of using a social network to establish and enhance relationships based on some common ground—shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location—is as old as human societies, but social networking has flourished due to the ease of connecting on the Web. This OCLC membership report explores this web of social participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the library’s role, including:

The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
Opinions on privacy online
Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking

The report is based on a survey (by Harris Interactive on behalf of OCLC) of the general public from six countries—Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States—and of library directors from the U.S. The research provides insights into the values and social-networking habits of library users.

When Wikipedia Is the Assignment

ckeller — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:39:58 -0500

A professor and a technology specialist discuss their attempt to bring term papers out into the open with the resource many faculty members abhor.

Using Wikipedia to Extend Digital Collections

drupal — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:12:34 -0500

"In May 2006, the University of Washington Libraries Digital Initiatives unit began a project to integrate the UW Libraries Digital Collections into the information workflow of our students by inserting links into the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The idea for this project grew out of our reading of OCLC's 2005 report Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources [1] which states that only 2% of college and university students begin searching for information at a library web site. It is, therefore, incumbent upon Librarians to look for new ways to reach out to our users where they begin their information search."

Wiki as a Teaching Tool

drupal — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:39:06 -0500

Wikis are one of many Web 2.0 components that can be used to enhance the learning process. A wiki is a web communication and collaboration tool that can be used to engage students in learningwith others within a collaborative environment. This paper explains wiki usage, investigates its contribution to various learning paradigms, examines the current literature on wiki use in education, and suggests additional uses in teaching software engineering.

Wikis and Wikipedia as a Teaching Tool

drupal — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:43:42 -0500

Wikis are a very versatile and easy-to-use tool that is finding increasing applications in teaching and learning. This paper will illustrate how teaching academics can join the wiki revolution. First. it will introduce the common wikis and then focus on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, which has become one of the most popular Internet sites and offers unique opportunities for teachers and learners. It will describe how wikis and Wikipedia are used as a teaching tool and how to develop them further.

Wikipedia can be used for various assignments: for example, students can be asked to reference an unreferenced article or create a completely new one. In doing so, students will see that writing an article is not a 'tedious assignment' but an activity that millions do 'for fun'. By submitting their work to Wikipedia students will see their work benefiting – and being improved upon – by the entire world.

e-Books for the Future: Here But Hiding?

drupal — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:01:12 -0600

The author outlines some developments in e-book technologies and links them to existing ways of presenting textbook information.

The IT Manager's Guide to Social Computing

drupal — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:30:34 -0500

The author gives an overview on the many aspects of social computing.

Campuses Make Way for the Worldwide Wiki

drupal — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 13:08:34 -0600

Do you wiki? Almost sounds suggestive, doesn't it? But while it is a trend on college campuses, where it may be bordering on a craze among the millennial generation, you can still get blank stares when you ask a grayer general audience about wikis.

Making the Case for a Wiki

drupal — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:44:27 -0600

The author examines wikis and considers the feasibility of their deployment - and the danger of the 'tumbleweed' syndrome.

Educational Wikis: features and selection criteria

drupal — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 16:32:29 -0500

This report discusses the educational uses of the 'wiki,' an increasingly popular approach to online community development. Wikis are defined and compared with 'blogging' methods; characteristics of major wiki engines are described; and wiki features and selection criteria are examined.