The wiki factor

What?

Report on an intensive online biology bridging course – leapfrog biology. A four week program, starts with one face to face session. Non-compulsory or assessed but best Wiki used for next year 1^st year medicine course - again the emerging theme of authenticity where the end product is not just for a lecturer! Also competitive nature - only best one used.

Forms of scaffolding

Both hard and soft.

Hard – up there already on site.

Soft – please read the instuctions

F2f – soft. Getting them started on what project was about since only 4 weeks long.

Instructions on LMS – hard, orientation

Online synchronous chat – soft, only one but more if requested. Wiki problem solving, social.

Discussion space asynchronous – soft. Asking qs re content

Guiding questions – hard. Start group work.

Questions posed in modules – hard

Monitoring Wikis with feedback – soft, emails etc.

Group discussion pages allowed teacher to monitor how collaboration was going.