USING WIKIS AND GOOGLE DOCS IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Today I would like to write about educational uses of wikis and google docs. 

Wikis provide a comfortable space for learners to work and solve problems in collaboration sitting at home in front of their computers. Wikis can have multiple uses in EFL classrooms. They are perfect for story creation activities when each student contributes to the creation of a story. This is also an invaluable activity in terms of developing students' creative thinking skills. In a university setting, wikis can be used in building information about different topics. It is really very interactive and motivating not only for teenagers but also adults. 

However, one thing to keep in mind is that research shows that very often the instructor should provide instructions or collaboration scripts to learners who are going to work in the wiki space. It will ensure proper distribution of roles, workload, sequencing of steps if there are any. We as teachers should also think of ensuring that students have a discussion board where they will have the opportunity to discuss and negotiate ideas before editing the text. 

One disadvantage of wikis that I can think about is that it is impossible to edit the text when another person is making changes in it. Besides, wikis might be a bit confusing for younger learners. In this respect, google docs are simpler and more user-friendly though they don't provide all the opportunities that wikis do. 

One important difference between wikis and google docs is that google docs have the real-time editing possibility. It means that learners can make changes in the document without waiting for somebody to finish editing. This is really great for some in-class activities where students can work on a shared document at the same time. 

Wikis and google docs are powerful tools that teachers should make use of. I loved them!