Wikispaces+ProsCons

Like Xtranormal, there are pitfalls and possibilities related to using Wikispaces. Wikispaces is one website which allows wikis to be created.

//Positives//
 * Different users can be editing the same wiki, just not the same page simultaneously
 * There are different themes and colours to choose from, so wikis can be individualised
 * Wikispaces format for editing a wiki page is straightforward
 * Can make wikis public or private
 * Can extend editing rights to other Wikispaces members
 * Can create more than one wiki per user
 * Can embed images, videos and audio files into pages
 * Can add widgets to wikipages
 * Can be worked on from any computer that allows internet access
 * Peer teaching can be encouraged as students help each other, rather than only teacher instructions
 * Students can have ownership of the project they created because they are directing the work
 * Other than an internet browser using Wikispaces requires not special software or hardware
 * It is easy to monitor student activity, so the teacher can see if some students haven't been working on the wiki
 * Discussion boards on each page mean interaction can occur even when you are not a member of the wiki

//Negatives//
 * Only one user at a time may edit a page
 * Need to sign-up to use the site
 * Has some functionality problems when formatting pages
 * Has advertisements on the page unless you pay for them to be removed
 * If a wiki is re-structured, the person who does the restructuring appears to be the author of the information. This could be a problem if assessing by looking at the history of the wiki page
 * Students wouldn't be able to complete the work required on their wikis without a computer or the internet
 * Students need a decent level of computer literacy to work on the wiki
 * Some students would have access to the work at home, while others may not have computers or the internet so wouldn't be able to work on the project out of school time