Wikis v.s.

Blogs
by: Jaxson Gast

Definition of Wiki
Wiki- a website that allows editing
of its content and structure by its
users.

1 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki. What is it?
Wiki is a Web page that can be
viewed and modified by
anybody with a Web browser
and access to the internet.
This means anyone can
change its content and text.
Even though Wiki has the
potential for mischief, wikis
provide users with both author
and editor information.

2 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki. Whos doing it?
The first wikis appeared in the mid-1990s by
scientists and engineers. Wikis were used to
create dynamic knowledge bases. Wikis are
being used for a wide variety of collaborative
activities. In addition to the information wikis
present, faculty and staff in higher education
use wikis as repositories for meeting notes.
Wiki makes it easy to export notes to Microsoft
word with makes reporting easy.

3 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki. How does it work?
Wiki is a combination of CGI script and a
collection of plain text files that allows users
to create Web pages. All it takes is a
connection to the Internet and a Web browser.
When you click Edit on the wikis page it
sends you a text file to your browser in an
editable form allowing you to modify the
content on the page. After you press the
Save button it sends a modified text back to
the wiki server, which replaces the existing
text file with your changed version.

4 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki. Why is it significant?
Wikis offer a powerful yet flexible collaborative
communication tool for developing contentspecific Web sites. Since wikis allow people to
add material to the site, they address
pedagogical needs (student involvement, group
activities, and so on). Wikis being on the
internet is significant because it allows students
to access and participate from any location even
outside of the classroom.

5 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki. What are the downsides?
Wiki allows users to modify the content on its
website, allowing editing the sites information can
lead to some risks. Thus, wikis are often monitored
to ensure that inappropriate language, spam, and
incorrect or inappropriate content is not allowed.
Since this can be time consuming, many wikis
require authorization so only group members can
modify its content.

6 of 7 Things you should know about

Wiki.
Where is it going?
Since wikis are easy to edit, they have the potential to
change how we construct knowledge repositories on
the Web. Wikis allow groups to form around specific
topics. Wikis are so easy to use, the technology
recedes into the background. This allows anyone to
become a publisher. Wikis show great potential that
may become semi-authoritative voices on particular
topics. Wikipedia for example has become an oftenused source.

7 of 7 Things you should know about Wiki.

What are the implications for teaching and
learning?
Wikis might be the easiest and most
effective Web-based collaboration tool in
any instructional portfolio. They allows
students with immediate access to the
sites content, which is beneficial to project
activities. Wikis collaborative projects help
promote pride of authorship and
ownership in the teams activities.
Collaboration using a wiki is not limited to
students, faculty can use wikis also.

Definition of Blog
Blog- a regularly updated website
or web page. Blogs are typically
run by an individual or small group.
Blogs are usually written in an
informal or conversational style.

1 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. What is it?
Blogs are online chronological collections of
personal commentary and links. Blogs are
easy to create and use. You can use blogs
when connected to the internet. Blogs have
become an established communications tool
over the years. It has evolved from online
publications of diaries to a respected site for
editorials on specific topics. The personal
perspectives present on blogs often lead to
conflict between bloggers. Blog circles
generate a strong sense of community.

2 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. Whos doing it?
Today, thousands of people Blogger and Moveable
Type to simplify, automate, and accelerate the
online publishing process. Most blogs are the
thought of by a single author; other focus on a
particular topic and feature several authors. There
are group blogs, family blogs, community blogs,
and corporate blogs. In education, faculty are
using blogs to express their opinions, to promote
dialogue in the discipline, and as an instructional
tool, and students are starting to use blogs.

3 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. How does it work?
Blogs can be thought of as an online
journal. Maintaining a blog is as simple as
using an e-mail. Bloggers enter posts into
blogging applications, add formatting or
hyperlinks, and then save the post. This
allows the entry to be viewable to other
users. Entries can include text, hyperlinks,
images, or multimedia. Visitors can read
posts and submit comments.

4 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. Why is it significant?
Blogs attract a large readership because of its
knowledge sharing, reflection, and debate. Blogs
are becoming an important component of the
internet because it provides readers with
information without the mediated chat rooms.
Blogs are easy to create and maintain, this helps
open discussions be established almost
immediately. Blogs encourage growth of
communities, the dynamics of collaborative
filtering and recommending/referring may
provide new ways to evaluate knowledge.

5 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. What are the downsides?
Blogs can be biased or include inaccurate
information because they are produced
and maintained by individuals. Blogs can
lead to readers interpreting information
the wrong way because they are
unmediated. Intellectual property is
another area of concern for blogs. Blogs
are also highly volatile. Blogs can edit or
delete posts this can make blogs difficult
to record valid information.

6 of 7 Things you should know about

Blogs. Where is it going?
Estimates say as many as 50 million people
are now blogging. Since blogs are easy to
create and modify, they occupy a unique
niche in cyberspace. Blogs can also serve as
an education tool for reflection, knowledge
building, and sharing. Blogs continue to
benefit from several years of
experimentation and evolution. By
evaluating their strengths and weaknesses,
people are learning to set guidelines and
expectations to maximize the benefits.

7 of 7 Things you should know about Blogs.

What are the implications for teaching and
learning?
Blogs are an increasingly accepted
instructional technology tool. Blogs are used
for reflection about classes, careers, or current
events. They also capture and disseminate
student and faculty generated content. Blogs
offer students, faculty, staff, and others a high
level of autonomy while creating a new way to
interact with peers. Blogs provide a way of
discussion that goes beyond coursework. Blogs
offer students another way to share
knowledge.

3 Ways Blogs and Wikis are similar.

Both Blogs and Wikis update their information often usually with
new information.
Both Blogs and Wikis are both easy to create and to use.
Both Blogs and Wikis are notified of new information automatically.

3 Ways Blogs and Wikis are different.

Blogs usually only allow one person or a team of people to edit its
content, while wikis allow anonymous editing.
Blogs have no history revisions, while wikis keep a history of
revisions to each page, including who made the changes.
Almost all Wikis allow users to download a backup, while only some
blogs allow users to download a backup.

Steps Wikipedia takes to ensure the

quality of its articles.
If someone comes across an error while reading Wikipedia, he or
she can immediately and directly change it by clicking on the
edit this page tab.
Once material is added to Wikipedia, an army of volunteers
organized under various departments.
Wikipedia has an elaborate disciplinary system for vandals and
other troublemakers, and a dedicated force of system
administrators to enforce the wikipedia communitys decisions
and policies.

Works Cited
Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2015
"7 Things You Should Know about Wikis." (2005): 2. Print.
"7 Things You Should Know about Blogs." (2005): 2. Print.
Wikipedia:Editorial Oversight and Control. 2007. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.