Create a wiki

Wikis allow students to contribute and modify one or more pages of course-related materials and provide a means of sharing and collaboration. Students can create and edit pages quickly, and track changes and additions, which allows for effective collaboration between multiple writers. You can create one or more wikis for everyone to contribute to and/or wikis for specific sub-groups to use to collaborate. 

Benefits and uses of wikis:

• record information
• a repository for information and knowledge compiled by all on the module
• build a community of collaboration and learning
• social interactions increase during the exchange of information
• options to grade 

Wikis allow students to add, modify, or delete content using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor. Most are created collaboratively.

When should you use wikis?

You can use wikis as module content or graded assignments for these types of activities:

• A glossary
• A white paper
• Class summaries and outlines
• Connect student writing to form a book
• A resources repository
• Lab experiments
• Student solutions for scenarios and case studies
• A research notebook
• Group project presentations

Instructors can create wikis to encourage students to collect their knowledge in an organized way. Any member can create pages within a wiki unless you intend to be the sole author and use the wiki as course content. Groups can also use wikis, find out more about sub-groups.

a. Turn Edit Mode ON 

b. In a content area, go to Tools and from the drop-down menu, choose Wikis.

c. Click Create New Wiki. (If you've already created a Wiki in the module, there's an option to link to it) .

d. Name your Wiki and add some instructions.

e. Make the Wiki Available by selecting Yes, and enter Date Restrictions if necessary.

f. Apply Wiki Participation, select whether or not students can edit or comment on the Wiki. Also apply Grade Settings to allow grading of contributions if the Wiki forms part of an assessment. If so, choose the points possible. It's best to mark out of 100 and weight assignments etc. later in the Grade Centre.

g. Click Submit. The Wiki has now been created.

h. On the next page, select Link to Wiki, highlight the name of the Wiki you just created and click Next.

i. Type the Link Name of the Wiki and in the textbox area, provide Instructions

j. Make the Wiki available (to students) by selecting Yes Availability' and enter any Date Restrictions as necessary.

k. Click Submit. A link to the wiki is created in the current content area. Click it to view.

a. Each time you create a new Wiki link, a homepage will need to be created.

b. When you click onto the new link a message appears across the top 'No pages exists for this wiki. Please create the homepage' now Create a Wiki Page Content: Name the content page, set the contents page in the textbox.

a. In the Wiki, click Edit Wiki Content. 

b. Use the Content Editor to edit or delete content from the wiki page. To find out more about Content Editor functions, please view our Content Editor guide.

c. Add links to websites, paste in website URL's and submit, the link will automatically appear or create a better experience for all by using the hyperlink function in the toolbar which allows you to change how the link is text is displayed and open in a new window. 

d. You can also add files this way through clicking Browse My Computer and clicking Insert, leaving the other settings as they are again.

e. You can link to other Wiki pages you have created by clicking the Plus icon in content editor toolbar. Please note that this option will only be available when at least two wiki pages exist.

f. When finished, click Submit. The content will now be ready to view on the Wiki.