Writing and Reading
I've used wikis for a variety of purposes in composition classes. Primarily, they serve as spaces for students to write, read, and analyze class assignments. For example, my students write weekly journal entries and post them to wiki pages where their classmates read and comment on each other's work:
I've also used the wiki as a draft space, encouraging students to post paper drafts and use editing functions to leave comments, changes, and questions in their classmates' papers:
I've found wikis to be extremely helpful for a few reasons. By centralizing student writing in one place, they allow students to practice writing daily while giving me quick access to read and comment on that writing. Additionally, students can read, change, and comment on each other's work—a proces that encourages them to view writing as a written form of conversation. (This, in turn, clarifies the concept of "academic conversation" that is so important to research work.)