Haiku Learning Systems Releases WikiProjects in Its Learning Management System
New features extend student collaboration and creativity to the online classroom
Online, August 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Goshen, Ind. - Haiku Learning Management Systems today launched WikiProjects and Comments, two features that enable even more interaction between students and teachers in its learning management system, Haiku LMS.
Today's release marks Version 5 of the learning management system and takes into account the increasing demand for student interactivity and collaborative work in a blended learning environment. WikiProjects and Comments empower students to engage course material and teachers to evaluate student participation in ways not previously possible.
WikiProjects are essentially student websites, a collection of web pages that students create to meet an assignment's criteria. Teachers assign a WikiProject in Haiku learning management system and specify who can participate: an individual student, a group of students, or the entire class. Students then create pages and add content like text, videos, audio files, and photos for the teacher to grade. Students have access to robust tools like the Aviary image editor, which they use to edit images directly in their WikiProjects.
Comments empower students and teachers to add remarks to class pages and WikiProjects. As with other content in Haiku LMS, Comments can be seen by other users who log in to the class, such as parents and tutors. They provide a way for students and teachers to informally discuss course content in its context and illustrate their points with photos, links, and so on.
Bryan Falcón, Executive Vice President of Haiku Learning, sees these new features as the next step Haiku LMS users need to make their online classrooms truly blended learning environments. "WikiProjects and Comments mean more interaction from and with students," he said. "That's key for our users because they already see the benefits of the online classroom. Now they can give their students the opportunity to do group or class projects online and accurately evaluate participation."
More details and other features in the launch are available online at http://haik.me/version-5