Case study-using a wiki to teach information decision science

The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, Information and Decision Science Department (IDSc), has developed a wiki textbook for our undergraduate core curriculum course. Starting in the Spring Semester of 2008, all seven sections, (approximately 400 students), are using the course wiki textbook taught by four different instructors. The web based wiki contains over 200 articles; ranging from classics discussing databases to recent articles describing internet security. The wiki textbook was originally developed to deal with the rapid changes in the information technology field and the challenges of keeping a traditional textbook current. In addition to providing timely content for students, there are a number of other benefits in using a wiki textbook. In the current semester no issues have been reported, and the students have identified several benefits: Students only need to have access to an internet browser Students are able to download and save posted readings There is no text book to purchase and a savings of $180 for each student The total saving for first semester for all students exceeded $70,000. No text book for students to carry Students print-out and carry only the materials required for each The wiki site has fourteen topics or chapters, and each topic is broken down into four sections. Section One has learning objects, topic terminology, key concepts and selective readings, Section Two is primarily case studies or analytic articles on the topic. Section Three (Additional Material) is a place holder for several articles if students want to study the topic further. Section Four (Student Sandbox) is for student interaction and active learning assignments. This paper focuses on the following: Basic setup, Faculty site, Student site, Security (access and monitoring), Content, Searching, Copyrights, Editing, Multiple instructors using the same site, Maintenance In discussion with several book publishers and authorities on using technology in the classroom, the University of Minnesota feels this topic has tremendous potential both for students and educators in the field of technology.