Tutorial

=Learning Object Wiki =

= =

[|Video Demonstration]
Click on the linked title above. When the new window opens, click on the icon that appears at the bottom left or the title, "2009-06-24_1348.swf"

Tutorial
**Access **  **Navigate**  **Edit**  **- Write**  **- Format Text**  **- Save**  **Collaborating**  **Wikispaces Tutorials**

Tutorial Transcript:
Welcome to the Learning Object Wiki for Instructional Design. A wiki is an online collaborative workspace. “Wiki” is the Hawaiian word for “quick,” because you can quickly set one up and quickly master its use. If you have word processed before, you are well-prepared to wiki. If you are new to wikis, I will briefly outline how to access, navigate, and edit the wiki.

To access the wiki, click the link on the D2L course Q & A message or type in the URL: http://LearnObject.wikispaces.com. This is a public wiki, so you will not need usernames or passwords.

The wiki is comprised of several pages linked in the navigation bar at the left. This is the Home page. I will post Tip sheet guides on the page with that name. And, I have posted a transcript of this tutorial on the Tutorial page.

So, let’s jump in and look at how to edit or write, format text, and save your work. I am using a Mac for this demo. Some of the tools may display a little differently on a PC.

WRITE

To write in the wiki, click the //Edit// button on the upper right. A tool bar, much like an abbreviated Word toolbar, will appear at the top of the screen. (You may need to expand your window to see the entire toolbar.) The page background will also dim. Now the page is open for your input. You can type on the keyboard or copy and paste from word processed documents. You can format text after it has been inserted.

FORMAT TEXT

Highlight the text and select from familiar formatting options: //Bold, italics,// or //underline//.

The Color and Font button, with the capital //T// icon on a colorful palette, allows you to change font, size, color of text, color of background, and alignment. Make your changes and click the //Apply// button.

The box with the word “//Normal//” displayed formats text size. Choose from Headline 1 to 6. (Oddly, Headline 1 is the largest and 6 is the smallest.) Or, leave the setting at //Normal//.

Bulleted and numbered lists are also an option.

You can insert horizontal rule lines to separate work areas on the page. Links can easily be inserted. Click on the link button with an icon that looks like a chain link. Choose from an internal wiki link or an external link. If it is an external link, type the link title and paste the URL in the box. When you click the //Add Link//, the title will be displayed as an active link. (If you want the URL to be displayed, input that as both the title and the URL.)

SAVE OR CANCEL

When you are done editing, click the //Save// button on the upper right. If you are not satisfied with an edit, close without saving by clicking //Cancel//. As a quick hint, there is no “undo” button in the wiki. If you save the work you are satisfied with often, you can correct errors by //Cancelling,// then returning to the earlier saved version of your page.

COLLABORATING

Wikispaces FAQs state that several group members can edit simultaneously. However, be aware that if several members are working on the same text at the exact same time, some of the edits might not be saved. Wikispaces suggests that members work on different areas of the pages when possible.

If you are interested in an illustration of people collaborating in a wiki, I have embedded a humorous and helpful video, “Wikis in Plain English” by Common Craft, into the tutorial page of the wiki. Embedding a video is just one example of the many additional options we have for building dynamic wikis for personal or professional uses. Please access the Wikispaces tutorials and guides for more information by clicking on the //Help// button in the upper right of the wiki. If you have any questions or run into any problem, please contact me via Stout email: cooperja@uwstout.edu.

Small caveat: I changed the domain name of the wiki from the original “7-1AltAct” so don’t be surprised if the of the links have strange names!

Graphic: © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.