Wikipedia

"Wikipedia is a free Web-based encyclopedia, that is collaboratively edited by countless individuals around the globe. As an encyclopedia, it consists of individual entries on a single subject (Wiki pages) that are densely hyperlinked to related content (using Wikilinks). Wikipedia’s links are a special case of the general hyperlinks that connect the World Wide Web." (Berlin, et al. 2008)

Within the search field for Wikipedia, I typed Education. I thought this would be the most broad field to undertake a search.

I came up with the following results:

• Systems of formal education
• Primary education
• Secondary education
• Higher education
• Adult education
• Alternative education
• Indigenous education
• Curriculum
• Learning modalities
• Teaching
• Technology
• Educational theories
• Economics

And the list goes on.

With regards to wikipedia, I think it is an excellent tool for learners to get an understanding of a subject, but not an effective tool to use for assignments, etc. Wikipedia has an area where you can edit what is written, which I believe, although effective if you want to put your two cents into the topic, also highly wrong for use on such an information-based website.

If the website allows anyone to put information on the site, who knows what information that is given is fact or fiction.

I would encourage students to search Wikipedia for a sample of what they are competing their assessment on (if they have limited prior knowledge, etc.), but I would not encourage them to base their whole assignment's research solely on Wikipedia, they need to back up their evidence and prove that what they have found in Wikipedia, is what they have also found from other sources.