In a previous post, I explained how I use a class wiki to review for the end of semester exam.  So, the project is over and I thought I would share student impressions of the project.  Only 9 of 15 students in this particular class (non-AP environmental science) left comments about the wiki review project on the end of course survey, but here they are (good and bad)…

Writing Prompt: Please comment on the usefulness of a wiki to prepare for either semester exam.  If useful, what makes it so? If not, explain also.

“1. The wiki was really useful to me due to the fact that it not only forced you to review, but it also, through having to ask questions and correct other wiki pages, made me feel more comfortable about the information because if something wasn’t accurate of if something was missing, you, or someone else, would point it out.

2. It seems like something that goes without saying, but the wiki is only as useful as the students make it. if there isn’t a lot of solid work put in, it’s not going to be effective at all.

3. It was useful.

4. Yes. Forces us to become experts on a topic and comment on others.

5. I enjoyed the wiki, it was very useful to read over before the exam. All the important material in on place was nice.

6. I don’t think the wiki is that useful to prepare for the exam. I think it just creates more stress on the students because it is one more thing to do.

7. Very useful – however, I think that the commenting part should be less pushed (no deadlines or anything) just because I’ve seen a lot of people simply posting comments for the credit.

8. Good communal resource where we get a different perspective on the same issues we’ve learned about.

9.  I think the first semester wiki was more helpful in preparing us for the exam. Perhaps, the students had more time to write/review/study the wiki pages first semester? It is useful because it highlights key points and important information for the students to know for the exam.”

This same group of students completed a similar project to review 1st semester topics in December of 2009.  While I’ve removed that older wiki site, here is their feedback from that project:

And, I just love this comment from the 1st semester project:

“Hearing the ways that other people in the class phrased things on the wiki really helped me a lot. For some reason, when I don’t understand something it usually helps me when another student expresses it to me in their more simplified version as a refresher, rather than hearing it again in the word-for-word explanation…if that makes sense.”

So, if you’ve never done anything like this, would you consider trying it?  Why? Why not?

*Want more? Here’s the link to student feedback on the same project when I tried it for the first time with my AP Environmental Science students during the 2008-2009 school year.