You've probably heard of wikis before (thanks to Wikipedia), and you probably have a basic idea of how they work. A wiki is essentially "a Web site that allows users to add and update content on the site using their own Web browser."[1] The following video gives an excellent description of how wikis work:

Several features of wikis make these tools ideal for writing projects in the classroom:

• Page history
• Rich text editing view (no HTML knowledge required)
• Embedded images and video
• Internal and external links
• Editable navigation elements
• Archive of uploaded files

Wikis can be used for free and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection, so they present a good opportunity for students to experiment with writing for the web. In summary, wikis allow students to:

• Produce and distribute online content
• Collaborate with peers
• Create their own structure and organization
• Write for an audience beyond the classroom
• Gain experience writing in a digital environment

Wikis are also highly convenient for instructors in ways that other technologies are not. When students use programs like Microsoft Word to collaborate, instructors don't get to see who did which parts of the assignment, or who put in most of the effort. They also don't get to see how much progress students have made until they get a draft. Wikis allow instructors to do all these things. By viewing the page history of any part of the wiki, for example, an instructor can see who has made changes to the site, as well as the nature of those changes. If they know the URL of the wiki in advance, instructors can also give continual guidance rather than just writing comments when a draft is received. The comment function built into most wikis allows your feedback to stay with the original page, which makes it easier for each student to see what changes need to be made and eliminates the risk of lost drafts with instructor comments written on them.

For further reading on Wikis and possible assignments, click here