March 31, 2011

Two faculty members discussed how they use wikis and other tools to support collaborative problem-solving in their classes:

• Janet Patti discussed a problem-based learning project undertaken by students in her leadership class, in which students are asked to work collaboratively to find a solution to a real-world problem.  Students used a variety of technologies to support their team process.  Wikis were used as a place to share ideas and resources for solving the problem.  Many students collaborated outside of class time using Pronto, an online chat tool.  Students used Voice Thread for their final presentations, in which they narrated over PowerPoint slides.  Presentations were shared with other students in the class, who were asked to comment on their classmates' presentations.
• Sandi Clarkson discussed how students in a problem solving class used wikis to collaborate on complex math problems.  Students were asked to share their reasoning and problem-solving process, as well as their proposed solutions.  The assignment gave Sandi insight into student thought processes and pointed out ways that students arrived at correct solutions through flawed or incomplete reasoning, creating an opportunity to discuss the problem further in class.

Resources

• Janet Patti's problem-based learning assignment
• Using Wimba Voice Tools
• About Voice Thread
• Setting up wikis in Blackboard