Group projects present multiple challenges for both students and instructors, including varied student attitudes towards group work, logistical challenges for scheduling, difficulty integrating individual students' contributions, and effectively assessing both individual contributions and the success of the collaboration. Wikis have the potential the alleviate these problems because they enable seamless and convenient additions to and editing of the group's project; hold all of the group's materials in one universally accessible location; enable valuable inter-group collaboration through peer review; and track every group member's contributions. I have developed and implemented a semester-long group project into an upper-level inorganic chemistry course that utilizes wiki sites to enhance collaboration. Student groups use metal-based or metal-combating therapeutic agents as a model for applying and understanding course concepts. Their information and presentation materials are compiled on their group's wiki, which is periodically peer-reviewed by other student groups. The project culminates with oral presentations about the therapeutic agents, and the wiki sites serve as a study guide for the final exam. Integration of the wiki into the group project compels sustained student effort throughout the semester and enables students to construct and organize bioinorganic chemistry content through a scaffolded collaborative process.

Teaching collaboration skills through a wiki-based inorganic chemistry group project

248th National Meeting (2014)

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