Module 4

“Qwiki: Thumbs up or thumbs down?”  Why? Let’s discuss the pros and cons of this online tool so we can make better informed choices when we decide to use it.

I am actually going to be the bad ass in all of this and give the Qwiki a thumbs down. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we are in the world of wanting information and feedback at lightening fast pace. This does not mean that this is necessarily a good thing for everything. Sure when I posted on Facebook that my husband and I were expecting a baby boy it was wonderful to see 46 comments and 25 or so “likes” within a matter of a few hours. But does speed necessarily mean quality content?
I say no and this is exactly why I did not give Qwiki a thumbs up. I found information that was outdated and many mispronunciations. I also found it interesting that major facts were overshadowed by minor points of interest in some circumstances. I get it though; the whole idea is for people to work together to repair and make a better product. That being said, is more content equivalent to better quality? For me some of the Qwiki’s had more content but that did not necessarily create a better product. I think Qwiki has potential. I relate Qwiki to the student who writes a novel at age 10 where all the lines are double spaced, letters are in capitals and the plot is rather weak. There is a novel but how often would you want to read it? There is potential with some serious editing and revising and the impact of an amazing Language Arts teacher!