One of our first tasks was the ‘Profile Wiki’, which required us to provide brief information on our interests and learning backgrounds, later posting them on our online course Moodle site. This exercise’s main priority was to share information with the rest of the student body, so people could make further choices as to a future partnering exercise. It also served as a crash course in the concept of a ‘wiki’ and the value of networking.
Initially the basic questions were asked, as in age, family, location in order to mainly let others find out who is geographically compatible. We were then asked to write details about our skills and degrees to further narrow down on our abilities. After which we gave information about our learning styles, hobbies and academic habits. Finally we provided information on our previous involvement with ICTs and the subjects within this field that we wanted to focus on.
Conclusively the theory behind this activity outweighed the practical result. The fact of the matter was it was designed to make participants begin the networking process by having them find relevant information about others, and taking perceived similarities into account for a future partnering exercise. But the fact of the matter was is that most people only read the profiles of other’s out of vague interest. Any partnering that was conducted was done on a largely geographical basis, which was available without the need to participate or even read the profile wikis anyways (refer to ‘When are you available to meet online?’ section). Furthermore it offered very little in the ways of self reflection to prior experience, even though questions such as ‘My Involvement with ICT’ were asked.
This activity’s greatest strengths lay in the simple profiling methods, it was a sort of ‘getting to know you experience’ , although if given my own students I would simply give them a discreet questionnaire rather than broadcast their details to their peers as form of communicative encouragement.
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