WIKIPEDIA

Wikipedia is a free-access, free content Internet encyclopaedia, supported and hosted by

the Wikimedia. Anyone who can access the site can edit almost any of its articles, as
long as they follow the rules Wikipedia is the seventh-most popular website [5] and
constitutes the Internet's largest and most popular general reference work.[7] [8] [9]
Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia on January 15, 2001. Its name IS
a portmanteau of wiki (from the Hawaiian word for "quick")] and encyclopaedia. Initially
only in English, Wikipedia quickly developed similar multilingual versions, differing in
content and in editing practices. The English Wikipedia is now one of more than 200
Wikipedias and is the largest with over 4.6 million articles. As of February 2014, it had
18 billion page views and nearly 500 million unique visitors each month. [13] Globally,
Wikipedia had more than 22 million accounts [out of which there were over 73,000
active editors as of May 2014.[2]
A 2005 survey of Wikipedia published in Nature based on a comparison of 42 science
articles with Encyclopdia Britannica found that Wikipedia's level of accuracy
approached Encyclopdia Britannica's.,[14] with Wikipedia being much larger. Critics
argue Wikipedia exhibits systemic bias,[15] and its group dynamics hinder its goals] Edwin
Black criticizes Wikipedia as being a mixture of "truths, half-truths, and some
falsehoods",[15] and Michael J. Petrilli argues that it's subject to manipulation
and spin.] Wikipedia's Consensus and Undue Weight policies have been repeatedly
criticized for undermining freedom of thought and leading to false beliefs based on
incomplete information.

Advantages
anyone can edit
easy to use and learn
Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a
new edition or update information
people located in different parts of the world can work on the same document
the wiki software keeps track of every edit made and its a simple process to
revert back to a previous version of an article
widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users
Wikipedia has no predetermined structure consequently it is a flexible tool
which can be used for a wide range of applications
There are a wide range of open source software wikis to choose from so
licensing costs shouldnt be a barrier to installing an institutional Wikipedia.

Disadvantages
Advantages in one context may be disadvantages in another.
Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example
confidential documentation. However it is possible to regulate user access.
Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate, but technologies to produce print
versions of articles are improving
The flexibility of a wikis structure can mean that information becomes
disorganised. As a wiki grows, the community plans and administers the
structure collaboratively.
The usual guidelines for healthy computer use apply

Advantages
1.Wikis are an effective way to get students to write about a specific subject, such as number systems or
impressionism.
2. Wikis rely on metacognition skills. Students must explain their concepts in a way that is understandable to all. If the
students have to explain their topics in a wiki, they will understand the topic themselves that much better.
3. Wikis are a great collaboration tool. Students can do group work even if their group can't all meet at the same time.
If three students are assigned to write a wiki page about "Music in the 1920s", each student can edit the wiki page on
their own time. Group members can leave notes for each other within the wiki and communicate ideas to one another
in the wiki writing process.
4. Allows students to use their technological skills, writing skills, and research skills.
5. Students will have a finished product they can proudly show to classmates, friends, and family online.
6. Wikis are a unique and engaging way to allow students to improve their mastery of skills while working on
something other than a poster, report, or test.
Disadvantages
1. Wikis can be edited by anyone, which can lead to false or biased information.
2. Wikis can be edited by anyone, which can allow others to delete or change your work.
3. Wikis frequently focus on surface level information, and do not always reach a depth of knowledge that may be
desirable for students.
4. Wikis require students to have access to computers and an internet connection, something not all students have.
5. Wikis are not always written or edited by someone with credentials on the subject. They are not as scholarly as
books or journal articles.