With terms such as “blog” and “podcast,”
the new computer jargon that has become second nature to many UCLA
students has a new term to add to its lexicon:
“wiki.”
Wiki, meaning “quick” in Hawaiian, is a new type of
Web site that allows users to directly edit a database of
information with no prior knowledge of Web site programming.
These databases are freely added to and edited by users and are
meant to facilitate communication between them as they make the
sharing of information easy and accessible.
“Wiki Web sites are a way for a small group of people to
share the editing of information on the web,” UCLA programmer
Mike Franks said.
Franks is currently looking into options regarding the
implementation of wikis for individual UCLA classes, which would be
accessible to students and faculty.
Director of educational technology Ruth Sabean said there is a
current project underway focusing on finding a structure that would
allow faculty members to integrate wikis and other new forms of
technology into their curriculum, as a means of improving
communication methods.
“We want to help UCLA improve instruction using
technology,” she said. “Wikis and blogs are good
examples of collaborative tools that originally were not used for
instruction, but now are proving to be beneficial. We want to make
it easy for faculty to be able to utilize them if it’s
necessary.”
This project will take roughly one to two years, depending on
the availability of software that would be easy to integrate with
the technology already in place, Franks said.
Each wiki Web site has an “edit” key at the top that
allows the user to add or alter the material on the page.
“There are obvious risks with this, which is why I only
use them with a small group of people I trust,” Franks
said.
A wiki was created by UCLA programmers for the purpose of
network security administration on UCLA networks. That wiki is
password-protected and is not open to the public, as it pertains to
confidential information regarding virus protection and network
stability.
But users with access to the wiki are able to share information
regarding work-related matters with more ease, as the free exchange
of information allows administrators to contribute information to
the common database.
Franks is currently working with class Web sites and hopes to
add wikis as another tool students can utilize when working in
groups.
“Wiki is just a new tool and an exciting one, but
it’s not replacing anything,” he said.
Some students are supportive of the prospect of a wiki that
could be integrated with their classes.
“I think wikis are great resources,” said Christina
Lenon, a second-year political science and international
development studies student. “They’d be good for
classes because they’re editable and since classes are
constantly changing it’s good to be able to see what’s
been updated. Plus they’re easy to search and
user-friendly.”
The first wiki Web site was created in 1995, after a programmer
found discussion boards constraining and restrictive to information
sharing, Franks said. Since then, the wiki has grown, and many
popular Web sites, such as wikipedia.org and
urbandictionary.com, have been developed as a result, Franks
said.