‘The Isle is Full of Noises’: Using Wiki Software to Establish a Discourse Community in a Shakespeare Classroom

Abstract

For the last four semesters my courses in Shakespeare have used QwikiWiki and MediaWiki, two versions of the wiki software, for writing exercises and directed reflection on language — including both by the students about Shakespeare's language, and by the teacher/researcher regarding the students' performance in ‘Writing to Learn’. In experimenting with this technology I have learned that wiki software presents an ideal platform for generating reading and writing assignments that encourage language awareness in the literary domain. It provides an easy way to complete short (rather than long) writing assignments, extending group work outside the class by continuing it asynchronously on the wiki, and enabling students to structure their discussions on their own. In this last instance the wiki is unique: it provides a minimally structured platform so that the students may determine how what they read and talk about relates to itself.

Keywords:

• discourse community
• Shakespeare
• wiki
• writing to learn