Wikis are excellent tools for collaboration. For example, instead of sending emails back and forth editing a document an online wiki site may be used. Multiple people can sign in on their convenience to edit a document online. Wikis can be private or public. The largest public one is probably WikiPedia - an online encyclopedia. There are several sites that offer free wiki accounts (paid accounts often come without advertisements and with added features.)

Wikis can be used in the classroom to create group work. Since it is online, students in traditional classrooms and online classrooms may use this tool to share a file they are collaboratively developing. For example, a wiki may be used for digital storytelling.

Wikis may also be used for discussion or as bulletin boards where students post their work for the rest of the class to see. Rights to edit can be set in the interface by the wiki owner.

Some sites that offer free wiki accounts are:

• Pbwiki.com
• Wetpaint.com
• Wikidot.com
• wikispaces.com

Wikiversity is a community engaged in learning resources, learning projects, and research for pre-school to University.

Wikis in Plain English
Watch "Wikis in Plain English", an interactive YouTube video explaining what wikis are and how they can be used.