User:Eml4500.f08.delta 6.krueger/HW Evaluation of wiki versus E-learning

 Wiki versus E-learning 

Wiki: Pros: 1) The multiple variations of notes and homeworks made studying more efficient and decreased errors on homeworks that were already graded. 2) The Compilation of the best of the notes can be used by later classes. This is put in the pros, but could also be a con. If the homework was wrong and not corrected it would influence the reader negatively. 3) The wiki network always seems to be available. There hasn't been a time when I could not log on. This is not the case with E-learning. 4) Now that the code for wiki is known the students can use wiki for other projects. Cons: 1) Having homework on a continuously available website with no way of restricting access makes cheating extremely easy. 2) Learning the code added extra work to an already work intense degree program. 3) The time to grade the class notes and the homeworks was slow. The response was much longer than with regular courses. 4) The materials sometimes felt as though it was spread all over the place. I don't feel like it was a compact user friendly way of relating the course material. 5) The pages can be changed by others. This could also lead to inaccuracies in studying. 6) The errors in the homeworks were not always well defined and could lead to inaccuracies in studying.

E-learning: Pros: 1) The format is compact and easy to navigate. 2) Cheating is very difficult. Cons: 1) This format cannot be used to study. 2) E-learning is not really a learning tool. It is more of a line of information between the teacher and the students. 3) The system is often slow and many times the student is unable to log on.

 My Opinion  I feel that wiki can be a good learning tool, but this takes an extremely large amount of time and diligence by the teacher and the T.A.'s. The homeworks would need to be graded in a shorter amount of time and the errors would need to be well marked and the correct answer given. Also the open site could lead to errors in studying. The pages could be changed and this could introduce errors. Without these problems wiki would be a good tool for courses. I feel that E-learning is a better way to deliver and receive information and reduces errors. Therefore, I feel that E-learning is a better system for the classroom.