Wiki or Google Docs

I'm looking to create a collaborative type project for my students and am wondering what would be the best platform for them to use - a wiki or google doc? I'm familiar with google docs but not with wikis. Could someone help me to determine the differences between the two and what situation would be best to use them in? Thanks!

Tags: collaboration, documents, google, wiki

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Permalink Reply by Anthony VonBank on September 16, 2009 at 7:41am

I actually use Google Docs pretty exclusively. I have used both. I agree with Steve that the revision history is complicated, but in practice, we haven't really noticed a need for more.

I am documenting my use of Google Docs for the benefit of others:

www.teachingwithgoogledocs.com

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Permalink Reply by Rich Bartolowits on September 16, 2009 at 10:16am

I tried accessing your site but was unable to get to it. I'd really like to see how people are using Google Docs. I work with several teachers who are just starting to use Google Docs in their classrooms.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Bohmfalk on September 16, 2009 at 9:37am

I use a google site, which can be considered a wiki since you can open it up to others to edit, with links to google docs for students to edit. I think a wiki could work (and I've done it before) but the portal idea mentioned below is how I use my google site. I am the only editor of my google site, but I have used wikispaces and allowed students to edit it before.

Here's a presentation my students collaborated on this week; each group made one slide:

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Permalink Reply by marmzanwai on October 16, 2009 at 5:44pm

hello friends,

i have to write a wiki project in group on a subject. i am quite green to it, actually. could you please give me any ideas or direct me to some how-to resources for it? my email is lifelong.edu.seeker@gmail.com.

regards,
marm

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Permalink Reply by marmzanwai on October 16, 2009 at 5:46pm

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Permalink Reply by Dodie Ainslie on October 16, 2009 at 6:34pm

Great matrix for wikis: http://www.wikimatrix.org/
Reading list for google docs: http://c4lpt.co.uk/ReadingLists/googledocs.html

I'd have to agree with others- really depends on purpose-
I have used wikis- mostly pbworks with students
With wikis you can design it like a website and have it set-up in layers-
with google docs the organization would be with individual docs (organized in groups)
Also- with most wikis (at least the ones I know...) only one student can edit at a time- this can be a limitation...
good luck

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Permalink Reply by meL on February 17, 2010 at 12:44pm

I prefer Google Docs, but you must be in a situation that your students have email accounts, or your school has Google Apps for Education. I recently used a wiki for a collaborative writing project with a middle school class. It worked "okay" - but the peer review process wasn't what I wanted it to be since students had to leave discussion posts rather than make comments within the document. Also, the wiki has no spell check and text formatting can be tedious.

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Permalink Reply by Sara Ouellet on March 19, 2010 at 2:55pm

i use google docs in my class and for projects and presentations with groups and it works out wonderfully because we can all work and edit the collaboration whenever we want