|
From our previous research we have identified the need to design and develop tasks that lend themselves to wiki environments. Typically, such tasks are too complex or demanding for the individual to respond fully to, and they also require solutions (of different kinds!) that amount to more than the mere sum of individual contributions. After all, if a task can be solved individually, it will be approached that way by learners. This is due to the institutional impact of schooling as an indivual endeavor as well as the possibility of minimizing cognitive and social effort. Consequently, we find Vygotsky's notion of double stimulation (S1 = task/problem, S2 = mediational means/wiki) to be of particular interest when finding a match between task design and wiki design.
We have made an illustration (see below) of how tasks, activities, and solutions can be mutually constitutive of knowledge advancement in a wiki. Note that the seemingly unidirectional and stage-oriented movement is a crude simplification; there is a lot of bidirectional and simultaneous movements involved. We will add a more detailed description shortly. Also, we will link to other topics such as Technological prompts in order to establish a more comprehensive approach to both wiki design and use. We ask: for what types of tasks are wikis particularly useful?
|
