Wiki-ing Your Wat into Collaborative Learning

Information Literacy and Library Instruction literature has touted the benefits of collaborative learning for years. Wikis have added a new dimension to the process of student collaborative learning. This interactive session will demonstrate how quickly and easily librarians can create classroom assignments that engage students, generate immediate results, promote collaboration, and reinforce learning objectives all through the use of a wiki. Session participants will: * Examine the connection between collaborative or active-learning activities in library instruction and student learning outcomes, * Discuss the ways in which newer technologies, particularly wikis, can facilitate these connections, * Develop practical applications for the use of wikis in multiple instructional settings. The session will include an overview of our experiences incorporating wikis into course-related information literacy instruction sessions and outline the connection between interactive wiki assignments and collaborative learning theory. We will then provide a brief demonstration outlining the basic mechanics of using free wiki the software currently used by Crown librarians. We will discuss the basic goals and considerations for creating engaging classroom assignments, followed by a hands-on opportunity for participants, working in small groups, to develop wiki-friendly projects. Groups will be asked to create simple classroom assignments, based on several different instructional scenarios, using a wiki to engage students and reinforce information literacy standards and objectives. Groups will be given the opportunity to share their results with other participants, followed by an open discussion and comment period. Participants are encouraged to bring laptop computers with them to support the group activity. Interactive Sessio