Wikis for Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Construction

TITLE:  Training Plan for Basic Dog Obedience

TARGET AUDIENCE:  New Dog Owners

LEARNING/TRAINING OBJECTIVES:

• Over the course of eight weeks new pet owners will learn the following:
• How to create a wiki
• Anatomy and first aid for your dog
• Basic dog training theory
• How to choose the proper equipment needed for training
• Dog behavior 
• Basic obedience strategies and commands

MATERIAL NEEDED:  Handouts, Articles, Computer, Internet Access, Wiki page, YouTube Videos

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE:

Over the eight weeks the class will have practical work with their pet and class instruction.  Reading assignments, worksheets, videos and wiki posts will be assigned throughout the course. During the first week of class, the students will be broken up into groups. If possible, the groups will be divided according to similar breed or size of their dog.  These groups will work together during classroom and training instruction as well during all wiki assignments. Each group will have their own wiki page to add to throughout the course.      

Class Outline and Methods

WEEK #	INSTRUCTION PROCEDURE	LEARNING ACTIVITIES	READING/VIEWING
WEEK 1	INTRO TO WIKI/DOG SAFETY -  set up training/wiki groups -   What is a wiki -    FAQ wiki -    How to log on to wiki -    Dog First Aid -    Dog anatomy	Play in the Wiki’s “Sandbox” Create one link, upload one video, upload one photo and write a paragraph about your pet.  In your group's wiki, summarize what should be kept in a dog first aid kit. *	YOUTUBE VIDEO 1: Wikis in Plain English HANDOUT 1: How create a  wiki HANDOUT 2: Common Injuries
WEEK 2	RAPPORT WALKS -  Choosing the right collar -  Choosing the right leash	In your group's wiki, summarize the importance of building rapport with your pet and record any issues that you would like to specifically work on.*	YOUTUBE VIDEO 2: How to Walk Your Dog - The Basics  ARTICLE 1:  Building a Relationship with your Pet ARTICLE 2:  Dog Behavior ARTICLE 3: Dog training collars and methods
WEEK 3	POSITIVE/NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT -  Training Equipment -  Training treats/food and toy rewards -  Clicker Training	In your group's  wiki, list the central ideas of positive and negative reinforcement, the key concepts and facts to remember.  Summarize the importance in using the right training equipment and describe clicker training. *	YOUTUBE VIDEO 3:  What is Clicker Training? HANDOUT 3:  Positive vs. negative reinforcement HANDOUT 4:  Toy vs. Food rewards
WEEK 4	INTRO TO HEAL COMMAND -  Commands used -  Equipment -  Behavior issues	In your group's  wiki, summarize your experience with heal.  What worked? What didn’t work? Did you have the right equipment?*	HANDOUT 5: Healing Techniques/Equipment
WEEK 5	INTRO TO SIT COMMAND - Commands used - Equipment - Behavior issues	In your group's  wiki, post a video (no more than 5 minutes) while practicing the sit command.  Describe the process below your video post.*	HANDOUT 6:  How to Teach Sit HANDOUT 7: 25 Uses for Sit
WEEK 6	INTRO TO DOWN COMMAND - Commands used - Equipment - Behavior issues	In your group's  wiki, post a video (no more than 5 minutes) while practicing the down command.  Describe the process below you video post.  How was this different from teaching your dog sit?  *	HANDOUT 8: How to Teach Down HANDOUT 9:  25 Uses for the Down Command
WEEK 7	INTRO TO STAY COMMAND - Commands used - Equipment - Behavior issues	In your group's  wiki, summarize the importance of the stay command and how to work on stay with your dog.  What is the difference between the stay and wait command?  Are there benefits to both? *	HANDOUT 10: 25 Uses for the Stay Command HANDOUT 11: How to teach your dog to stay.
WEEK 8	RECALL TRAINING - Commands used - Equipment - Behavior issues - End of Course Evaluation	In your group's  wiki summarize the process of training your dog to come to you.  Share what worked for you and your pet. What do you think is the top reason to teach your dog recall training and why?  Complete the wiki self evaluation and personal reflection *	YOUTUBE VIDEO 4:  Training the Recall with Michael Ellis HANDOUT 12:  How to teach your dog recall training.

*Each summary should be completed by Wednesday at midnight and at least three responses to your classmates should be posted by Sunday at midnight

EVALUATION:

- Evaluation is based on attendance and wiki posts and self evaluation for a total of 100 points

- Attendance is worth 5 points/week = 40 points

- Wiki posts are worth 5 points/week = 40 points

            -- A Wiki Post Grading Rubric will be used on a five point scale

- A wiki self evaluation and personal reflection will be completed by each student = 20 points

I chose to primarily use group summaries for the wiki assignments as it serves multiple purposes.  For instructors a “summary is an effective tool to gauge student comprehension of a particular reading or resource” (West & West, 2009, p. 73).  For students, the summaries, lessons learned and advice from fellow students was shared throughout the wiki.  This can be used as a comprehensive resource that each member will have access to and can continue to build on long after the course is over.   

REFERENCES

Ancic, M. (2012).  Training your dog and you. [Online Forum].  Retrieved from http://www.training-your-dog-and-you.com/Building-a-Relationship.html

Arhant, C., Bubna-Littitz, H., Bartels, A., Futschik, A., & Troxler, J. (2010). Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 123(3), 131-142.

Burkey, M. (n.d).  15 uses for come. [Online Forum].  Retrieved from

http://www.michigandogtrainer.com/images/APDTtrainyourdogmonth.com_members_handouts_APDT_15UsesCome_Member.pdf

Burkey, M. (n.d).  25 uses for sit. [Online Forum].  Retrieved from http://www.michigandogtrainer.com/images/APDTtrainyourdogmonth.com_members_handouts_APDT_25UsesSit_Member.pdf

Gonda, G and  Vancza, J.  Dog training collars and methods. U.S. Patent No. 4,202,293. 13 May 1980.

West, J. and West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for Online Collaboration: The Power of the Read-Write Web.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  ISBN: 9780470343333

VIDEOS

(2007, May 29) Wikis in plain english. [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

(2012, Mar 23) What is clicker training? [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzQJZU6RwkU

(2013, Feb 19) How to walk your dog – the basics. [Video File].   Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEvpWjQowIg

Ellis, M.  (2012, Aug 9). Training the recall with Michael Ellis Trainer [Video File].  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI68xaXTo8U

IMAGES

(n.d).  Dog training and obedience. [Web Graphic].  Retrieved from  http://www.dogtrainingandobedience.co.uk/Basic_Dog_Obedience_Training.html

Wikis: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

www.ontimenow.com

What is a Wiki?

According to King and Cox (2011), “the term wiki comes from the Hawaiian work, Wikiwiki, which means quick” (p. 122) and can be defined as a “collaborative web space where anyone can add content and anyone can edit content that has already been published (as cited in West & West, 2009, p. 3).  Perhaps the most recognizable wiki is Wikipedia, which is a web-based encyclopedia (King & Cox, 2011).

What are the pros that the Wiki may bring to enriching adult learners’ learning experience?

Although Wikis have been around for over ten years, we’ve only recently seen instructors regularly incorporating them into curriculum due to the information advantages they offer to educational endeavors.  Wikis act as informational clearinghouses for student collaborative learning.  I have created wikis in a few of my adult and continuing education courses with Kansas State University and for me, I benefited from the collaboration and the sense of ownership the wiki brings.  “The wiki opens the door to brainstorming, group problem solving, critical evaluation, synthesis, idea refinement, and group consensus” (West & West, 2009, p. 5).  Even more amazing is that this can be accomplished over multiple time zones.  Another benefit for me was how easy it was to learn.  There was virtually no learning curve and I was able to create my first wiki with little instruction.  Not only have a learned a lot from wiki assignments, they have also been fun to create. 

What are the cons of the Wiki?

The wiki is a great tool for learning whether it’s used in an online course or a traditional format.  However, there are a few negative aspects of the wiki feature that should be addressed.  Although most wikis are free, they will likely have advertisement, limited security and limited number of members who can edit the wiki (West &West, 2007).  Personally, the editing features could be more user friendly.  Although it’s easy and probably a good idea to create the content of your wiki in a word document, I would prefer to be able to edit my spelling and grammar within the wiki.  I also have bad experiences when one of my group members edited over my content so that I had to re-create it.  West & West (2007) have found that wiki pages have a tendency to look plain due to the limited editing features.  As reported by King & Cox (2011), some students are concerned that others may edit the wiki with irrelevant content if not properly password protected.  Not all technology has been found to benefit the classroom and although the wiki has some cons, I believe overall that it is a useful tool that instructors should continue to incorporate into their curriculum.

REFERENCES

King, K. & Cox, T. (2011). The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.  ISBN: 9781617353338   e-book ISBN: 9781617353352

West, J. and West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for Online Collaboration: The Power of the Read-Write Web.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  ISBN: 9780470343333

WEB GRAPHICS

(2013). On Time Team Wiki [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.ontimenow.com

Blogging: Pros and Cons for Adult Learners

Is blogging the same as discussion board activities?

I believe blogging and message boards do have similarities.  Both are found online allowing messages to be viewed and commented on by others.  Think topic, post, comments.  However they are different enough to serve different purposes.  For example one difference between a blog and discussion board is that a blog should have a specific purpose for posting ideas, thoughts and articles and the author should stay one topic, whereas a discussion board is broader.  Since new topics can be posted on message boards, the posts have more potential to go in unintended directions.   

What are the pros blogging brings to adult learners?

There are myriad pros that blogging brings to both educators and adult learners alike.  For educators, blogs are an easy tool to incorporate into curriculum, as they are simple in structure, easily accessible and free.  Witte (2007) suggests that by incorporating blogs into curriculum, educators can help “shrink the technology gap and better prepare students to become citizens of a global society” (p.96).  Similarly, Oravec (2002) believes that students who are required to access blogs as part of their learning and will “help students get a better sense of what the Internet has to offer” (p.621).  Blogging also has been shown to help develop not only a student’s online skills, but also to help strengthening their writing skills, (Witte, 2007).  Students who know they have an audience of not only their instructor, but also their peers will be more likely to write more clearly and carefully (Santos, 2011). Although this is my first attempt at creating a blog as an adult learner, one pro for me is that I can share my opinions and have my own voice.  In a traditional classroom setting, I am less likely to participate.  The online participation whether it is from a message board or blog has enhanced my own critical thinking skills.

What are the cons blogging brings to adult learners?

As with any new learning tool that is incorporated into curriculum, there will be cons for both the educator and the adult learner.  One issue for the instructor could be time management.  King & Cox (2011) note that reading students posts on a regularly basis can be time consuming and it may not be possible to provide timely feedback leaving the student feeling disconnected.  Also, if an instructor is going to incorporate a blog into the curriculum for the first time, he or she must have effective planning and clarify expectations otherwise blogs will turn into chat sessions and learning outcomes will not be properly addressed. Safety issues are a concern to some students who do not feel comfortable sharing information on a worldwide platform even with the use of pseudonyms.  Access is another issue.  Students who do not have easy access to a computer or the internet would have more difficulty keeping up with their blogs.  As I mentioned earlier, this is my first experience creating a blog, but I can still appreciate the benefits of blogging and I believe the pros outweigh the cons.

REFERENCES

•           King, K. and Cox, T. (2011). The professor’s guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

• Oravec, J. (2002).  Bookingmarking the world:  Weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(7), 616-621. 

• Santos, A.. (2011). Blogs as a learning space: creating text of talks. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 4(6), 15-19. (PDF) (Open in new window)

• Wittle, S.  (2007). That's online writing, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92-96. (PDF) (Open in new window)

WEB GRAPHICS

•  (2013). List of top five blogs about blogging that allow guest posting. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://buzz2fone.com/list-of-top-five-blogs-about-blogging-that-allow-guest-posting/