Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning: a Case Study of an Undergraduate Students' Group Project in Hong Kong

Abstract

This research investigates the use of wiki in a collaborative project by undergraduate students in a university in Hong Kong. The wiki contents and work patterns of undergraduate students who were engaged in a collaborative group project were examined and MediaWiki’s potential for knowledge building was explored. Over a period of three months, 21 undergraduate students in a Knowledge Management course were divided into four groups. They used MediaWiki as a collaborative platform for communication and for working on a group project. After completion of the group projects, wiki log data were collected from MediaWiki, which included the number and dates of contributions, version changes, and discussions. Data obtained from the wiki logs were analyzed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings provided a deeper understanding of the usability of wikis in collaborative group projects in tertiary education.