To Wiki or to Blog: Piloting Social Software Technologies for Assessment in a Large First Year Information Systems Class

This paper describes two exploratory pilot projects using the social software technology (i.e. blog and wiki) for assessment purposes to teach an introductory Information Systems subject at University of Canberra in 2007. Social software technologies known as web 2.0 have gained considerable interest among academics across the higher education landscape. These tools have features that focus on the social construction of collective knowledge, communication, reflection and peer networking. However, while there are many claimed pedagogical benefits, little is known about the impact and effectiveness of social technologies to support innovative approaches to Information System assessment tasks in large classes. In this study the author reflects on the process of integrating social technologies into the teaching syllabus for assessment purposes and presents a reflective account of the outcomes of the trial from both student and staff perspectives. Important teaching and learning issues associated with the development and implementation of social technology based assessment tasks for large classes are discussed. This analysis confirms the importance of usability, workload and ‘fit for task’ for technology-infused teaching and learning for large classes