Learning Portfolio 4
Q2)
Within the Learning Portfolio, Wikipedia is not an accepted as online source due to its lack of credibility. Anyone can upload information on to Wikipedia being why it is an unreliable source of information. It is an online encyclopedia based on wiki software, which allows users to add, edit and remove content from any page. This open environment of collaboration that allows anyone to change information brings frequent questions about the reliability of the information on its pages. For students it is hard not to use this site as the information appears nicely organised and easy to navigate through. Teachers however struggle to push the point that the information provided can not be confirmed as being correct due to the fact that errors may not be tracked for weeks after being uploaded.
Students need to be brought to attention the seduction of cool graphics, the weakness of poor logic and the importance of the authors credibility. Wikipedia appears to be of a professional and high standard source, using office-like colour of grey scale and photographic images to provide evidence. If we learn to see online documents as they are, not as preconceptions tell us they should be then we will be better prepared for navigating about on the World Wide Web. (Burniske [2006]). Wikipedia falls under the ‘presumed’ category of web credibility where many students base their judgements on the word of others. It ends with the domain name of org. and fails to provide links to other trustworthy sources of material of web sites.
Burniske, R.W, (2006) Literacy in the Digital Age, United States: Literacy in the Cyberage: Composing Ourselves Online
Suite101.com; The Genuine Article.Literally; Wikipedia’s Credibility; (16/6/08) retrieved on 21/10/09 from url;
http://online-student-resources.suite101.com/article.cfm/wikipedias_credibility#ixzz0VeVjobQH
