PB Wiki
From Bazaar Wiki
Type of application / System Requirements
PBwiki is a free online wiki accessible through a web browser.
Purpose
PBWiki says:
- Increase student engagement using a safe online wiki.
- Stop waiting for IT to make an easy-to-update web space!
- Create a no-hassle way to showcase my students' work online.
- No IT required.
In their web page for educators they ask: "How can I use a wiki?
Here are some ideas. A wiki might be perfect for you if...
* You're tired of waiting for Brad in IT to help set you up * You want to increase student engagement using a safe online wiki * You're tired of complicated solutions that nobody uses * You want a no-hassle way to showcase your students' work online * You want to eliminate excuses of lost homework * You want a central place for your group to collaborate * You want one place to put your files and thoughts so you can access them anywhere * You want a partner to share best practices on collaboration"
What it does
Put quite simply it makes it easy for anyone to set up and use a wiki. There is no need to install a server or applciationa dn no technical knowledge is required. Instead of worrying about the software you can focus on how a wiki can be used for learning and sharing.
How can it be used for creation of OERs
Wikis are emerging as one of the best ways of developing and sharing Open Educational Resources. They are easy to edit and support different forms of multi-media. Wikis are particularly useful for shared and collaborative development of resources.
How can it be used for consumption of OERs
It is easy to access a wiki. But he major educational value is not just in passive consumption but through active involvement through editing or adding to a wiki resource or through adding comments.
How can it be used for reuse of OERs
Wikis are particularly strong in terms of reuse. Reuse can either take the form of editing existing resources or simply copying pages and then re-editing to produce new resources.
License support
PBwiki says: the "Company does not claim ownership of any information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video, messages, tags, or other materials you submit or make available for inclusion on or through the pbwiki Service ("User Submissions"). As between Company and you, you own all rights to your User Submissions. However, to enable Company to provide the pbwiki Service, you grant Company a worldwide and fully sub-licensable license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform, and publicly display your User Submissions (in whole or in part) in any format or medium now known or later developed."
Standards / Compatibility
There are no agreed standards for wikis and the mark up language varies a little between different wiki applications. One of the strengths of PBwiki is that it has an easy to use WISIWIG editing toolbar and the sidelink bar is reasonably easy to use. There is no facility to export. But is is fairly easy to copy pages and paste into another wiki application e.eg. mediawiki.
HOW TO USE IT
For an introduction to PB wiki watch this Youtube video. There are also a series of related videos providing a comprehensive how-to introduction.
Links / examples / Who is using it
The following three examples are provided on the PBwiki site.
Graham Attwell from the Bazaar project has set up a PBWiki - Open and Distance Learning together with his colleague Cristina Costa. They are using the wiki as an active support area for workshops and presentations.
Sandbox
Just go to the PBwiki site and set yourself up a free account.
Comments / Discussion
I very much like this ervice. Firstly it opens up access top anyone to use a wiki without having to install software. Secondly PBwiki is exceptionally easy to use. And there are no advertisements.
Of course it raises the question as to whether you want your contents and applications to be dependent on an external commercial service provider.
