Teaching Development Grants
Completed TDG Projects

IT in the Curriculum and E-learning

Incorporating Wiki to Enhance Students’ Collaborative Learning and Academic Performance in Traditional Research Method and Statistics Courses


Abstract

The main aim of this project was to improve students’ collaborative learning, learning approach and academic performance in traditional research method and statistics course through the use of wiki technology. Twenty-one BSc (Exercise and Health) students used wiki to supplement the traditional face-to-face mode of teaching and learning; and 24 students acted as controls (i.e. no access to wiki platform). All students were evaluated on their collaborative learning, academic performance and learning approach using the Group Process Questionnaire (GPQ), course result and Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), respectively, at the end of the semester. Results revealed that R-SPQ-2F surface approach score, surface motive score and surface strategy score were lower in the wiki group than that of the control group (p < 0.05); whereas GPQ individual accountability score and equal opportunity score were higher in the wiki group than that of the control group (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found in the overall course result between the two groups of students. The frequency of using wiki was about 0.7 times per week per student in the wiki group. We concluded that using wiki infrequently could improve students’ collaborative learning and learning approach, but may not improve the course result. Future project may encourage the students to increase the frequency of accessing wiki to improve academic result.

Principal Investigator

Dr. S.S.M. Fong, Centre for Sports and Exercise (formerly Institute of Human Performance) Contact

Project level

Programme-level project

Project Completion

May 2016

Deliverables

  1. A wiki-based platform (PBworks) was set up as an online teaching and learning environment to support students’ learning and to supplement the face-to-face teaching.
  2. A documentary of the procedures and technical components of the methodology is available online.
  3. A generic wiki platform for implementation in different courses is available online
  4. Data was presented in 2 conferences:
    • Fong S.S.M., Chu, S.K.W., Lau, W.W.F., Doherty, I., & Hew, K.F. (2015). Incorporating wiki technology to enhance University students’ collaborative learning in a traditional research method and statistics course: a pilot study. Centre for Information Technology in Education Research Symposium 2015, 29-30 May 2015, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
    • Fong, S.S.M., Chu, S.K.W., Lau, W.W.F., Doherty, I., & Hew, K.F. (2015). Incorporating wiki technology to facilitate BSc (Exercise and Health) students’ collaborative learning in a traditional research method and statistics course. Frontiers in Medical and Health Sciences Education Conference – Learner Wellbeing Across the Continuum, 27-28 Nov 2015, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
  5. Manuscript–“ Incorporating Wiki Technology in a Traditional Biostatistics Course: Effects on University Students’ Collaborative Learning, Approaches to Learning and Course Performance”Download