Analysing learning through Mediawiki

Tuesday 11:00-12:30 (1), Blaydon/Gibbs

Type: Lightning talk

Theme: MOOCs and open courses

#oer14 #abs26

Authors

Mr Simon Knight, PhD student, Knowledge Media Institute Open University, [email protected]

Abstract

This talk will give a brief introduction to the Mediawiki platform (which sites such as Wikipedia use) as a platform for OER, from which meaningful educational data can be extracted. This data pertains both to resource use and construction (paradata) and learner interactions with each other and their learning environments, including OER (learning analytics).

Some examples of Mediawiki extensions to facilitate learning analytics will be discussed, giving indications of their scope for use within educational projects using the Mediawiki platform. The recent 'learning analytics and knowledge' conference (LAK13) noted the importance of the "middle space" in which learning sciences and data analytic techniques are brought together to support students in their learning. The open Mediawiki platform will be discussed with reference to this middle space, noting that many extensions written for Mediawiki are well suited both to high quality pedagogic contexts, and advanced analytic techniques. The talk acts as a call to developers, particularly within the (OER based) Wikimedia community to consider how their tools might be appropriated in education, and to educators to consider the use of such tools and what requirements they might have.

References

Knight, S. (2013). Analysing learning through Mediawiki. Presented at EduWiki, Cardiff, UK. Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/sjgknight/analysing-learning-through-mediawiki. [Accessed 26 November 2013].

Funding acknowledgements

My attendance at this conference will be funded by Wikimedia UK

Files

• Understanding learning through mediawiki.pptx

Further details

Keywords: wikimedia, learning analytics, oer, paradata, information literacy, mediawiki, learners as producers, open practice, wiki, open knowledge,