Reliability of Wikipedia and Define Collaboration

Week 5 Discussion Questions

* How do you determine information sources to be reliable and relevant? What criteria do you use?

One of the things I have learned during the course of this class is how to use good sources for your research. Finding trustworthy sources can be hard to determine unless you know where to look. Using respected publications and peer reviewed sources can help ensure the reliability of the material you are reviewing. Before this class I would have been inclined to just use a generic Google search for my material. The reliability of these sources would have been hard to determine.

* Do you think Wikipedia is an appropriate source for an academic paper? Why or why not?

I have learned that Wikipedia is not an appropriate source for an academic paper. The information in it is not verified for accuracy or facts. It may give the reader an idea about a subject, but due to the fact that anyone can post their findings with the process of verification, I may be biased or skewed from the writers perspective.

Week Two Discussion Questions

* What does collaboration mean to you? How might collaboration foster learning?

For me collaboration is the ability for two or more individuals to met in a organized fashion and equally share in a discussion and to accept each others ideas. As you meet with people and dialogue and hear about each other's information, you learn about what they know and they have the ability to learn from your knowledge and experience.

* What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of learning in a collaborative environment?

A positive thing is that you get feedback from others in the group. This can also be a huge negative, as personalities can be very abrasive as well as some people may not know how to communicate and become very unproductive if they feel they are not valued in the group.