January 22,
2007
Warner students sharpen leadership skills by
developing Wiki
A group of students from the Warner School has developed a Wiki, a fully editable Web site that allows for online collaboration. The project, led by Warner student Michelle Frechette Ames (above), was part of a class taught by Andrew Wall (above), assistant professor of educational leadership at the Warner School.
Sixteen Warner graduate students created and
launched a Wiki as part of a semester-long group project. The
result is an interactive Web resource for future students and
professors.
A Wiki is a Web site that allows visitors
to add, remove, and even edit content. The students took on the
project as a way to learn more about e-technology and to test their
leadership skills within a collaborative environment.
“Students had the opportunity to really
‘own’ this project by devising their own product,
scope, and organizational structure,” says Andrew Wall,
assistant professor of educational leadership at the Warner School,
who taught the class. “Interestingly, in response to a broad
assignment with no parameters, students chose the integration of
technology as their final product. The use of Wiki technology, a
democratic way of collaborating, allowed students to operate in a
collaborative workspace, and at the same time, utilize technology to improve their
learning experience and leadership skills, and provide structure and
organization that will ultimately prepare them to be effective leaders
in higher education.”
The Wiki includes a lexicon of terminologies,
list of suggested readings, companion guide to Organization & Governance in Higher Education, listserv for people interested in the course,
biographies of students, and directory of higher education
organizations.
“The Wiki has opened up a new level of
communication and learning for students and professors in higher
education,” adds Wall. “It allows users to
collaboratively construct and share meaningful knowledge that
serves as a resourceful tool for current and future leaders. I
believe this will be a paradigm for other higher education
classes.”
Throughout the project, the students were able
to work remotely using digital technology and resources such as
WebCT (Web Course Tools), Google Groups, traditional e-mail, and the Wiki site
itself.
“The most important aspect of the project
is that we worked together to successfully produce one,
significant, tangible product that we’re all very proud
of,” says Michelle Frechette Ames, Warner student and Wiki project manager. “We
accomplished this by using technology as an effective learning tool and
by tapping into students’ interests, expertise, and strengths to
ensure that each student played an important role in the
process.”
To learn more about the Warner School’s
educational leadership programs in higher education, visit
www.rochester.edu/warner/programs.
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