Online Tools: Are They Credible for the Classroom?

In one of my courses at UCI for my teaching degree, we've been discussing the use of Wikipedia as a credible source for students to obtain information. A few of my colleagues (mostly the older ones) are completely against the use of Wikipedia - they claim that the idea of accessing something online, that does not exist in hard copy, is sufficient to not be considered a credible source. I understand their perspective, and it got me thinking about our duty as teachers in the classroom of today and of the future. I believe that we have the responsibility to teach accountability and honesty to our students, but at the same time, we must face the inevitable: our students will continue to use the Internet as a primary source to get their information, whether it’s engaging with affinity groups and social networks online to find out the latest trends, or obtaining summaries and cliff notes of books they’re required to read for their English Lit. class. The point is, there is a huge disconnect between teachers and students because of the Internet. On the one hand, students are learning from the Internet, yet their school practices are shutting off this kind of learning once they enter the classroom. On the other hand, the teachers (not so much the younger ones), express fear of losing control over their classroom or struggle to keep up with their students because they’re not “trained” to learn how to use the Internet and online learning tools.



Regardless, we are heading (and we’re already there) to an information system where groups can work together to solve complex problems that cannot be attempted alone. In other words, the Internet allows its users to collaborate in a setting in which individuals can contribute her unique intelligence or type of knowledge. Henry Jenkins, the principal investigator of Project New Media Literacies (NML), claims that, “…schools can actively prepare students for such a world — by allowing them to develop and refine their individualized expertise, by providing complex problems which require collective effort to resolve, by teaching them the ethics involved in working in such a highly collaborative and open-ended context.” Although we implement group work into our curriculums, the kind of group work is key in benefiting our students’ futures. We cannot assume that every student knows everything. Instead we need realistic group work that honors each student’s different kind of knowledge or expertise so that they can come together and use it effectively.

In regards to using the Internet and its tools, including Wikipedia, schools need to come to terms with our this current “informational system” and prepare students to use these resources both creatively and responsibly.