Wiki Collaboration vs. Threaded Discussion
Jul 3rd, 2009 by Ed Leung
As someone who has participated in threaded discussion, both from an educational and from a recreational setting, I feel that there are several areas where wiki collaboration cannot quite match it. However, from a publication point-of-view, the wiki collaboration is likely to yield a more “appealing” final product than a threaded discussion.
One of the biggest advantages threaded discussions have over wiki collaboration is that it shows in an easy-to-see format what each participant’s contribution is. For an educator who is assessing students’ participation, this format is a lot clearer than going into the history section to find out what has been done collaboratively and individually by all the students, though I admit that this may just be a personal bias.
Another advantage threaded discussions have over wiki collaboration lies in the fact that nothing is really “lost.” As students offer their opinions, sometimes the opinion or suggestion may be disputed, and discarded eventually through discussions. However, that does not mean that the opinion did not serve a purpose, nor that the student who raised the “inadequate” question/opinion did not contribute in a positive fashion. In wiki collaboration though, the final product seldom shows the “steps” and the “trials” that many people collaborated and contributed. In spite the fact that the final product should be considered that of a combined effort and collaboration, the “wrong” steps taken during that process would inevitably be lost.
Wiki collaboration, however, does produce a product that is more presentable than a threaded discussion. After many rounds of collaboration, the finished product is published, has external links, images, etc. In short, it can be a beautiful media production. The same cannot be easily done with many threaded discussion topics and responses.
Personally, I feel that depending on the goal of the collaborative process, wiki collaboration and threaded discussion can both be utilized to maximize the learning experiences of students.