The+best+collaborative+technology.

=For successful collaboration, should Wiki or Word be used?=

A study conducted by Dishaw, Eierman, Iverson, and Philip from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business sought to determine whether collaborating using Wikis or MS Word were more effective for students. The study involved one group who collaborated using Wiki and one group who collaborated using email and MS Word. The results of the study indicated:


 * There was no evidence to show that the effort between Wiki collaboration and Word collaboration was any different.** Although data did not confirm there was a difference, the authors note say there could still be a possibility that Wikis create an easier environment for collaboration.


 * Students preferred the features of MS Word over those of Wikis.** This is no surprise because MS Word offers extensive formatting features while Wikis offer limited features.


 * Students felt using email and Word were easier than a Wiki.** They rated the ease of use for email and Word much higher than a Wiki.

It assumed that because Wikis are built for collaboration that they take less effort to collaborate. But, based on this study, it Wikis may not always provide a more collaborative experience. Opinions are mixed on this issue. A contributor to [|WikiPatterns.com] says “"The ONLY time you should create a Word doc is if you care whether and how your text fits on an 8½"x11" sheet of paper. If not, put it on the wiki,” while a different contributor to [|ThinkingAboutIt.com] says “…the [only] benefit of Wiki software is that it lets us track who’s added what.”

References: Dishaw, M., Eierman, M. A., Iversen, J. H., & Philip, G. C. Wiki or word? Evaluating tools for collaborative writing and editing. Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 22 (1).

Wiki not word. []

Warsop, B. (Aug 2009). Wiki vs. word. []