Student Perceptions of Wikipedia as a Learning Tool for Educational Leaders

This non-experimental qualitative study examined archival survey data collected to evaluate the e‑cacy of a research assignment utilizing Wikipedia. Respondents were 14 doctoral students enrolled in Educational Leadership coursework during Fall 2011. There is limited research available on this topic, as Wikipedia has been minimally utilized as a legitimate learning tool in the education setting. Parker and Chao (2007) noted that Wikis are one of many Web 2.0 components that could be used to enhance the learning process. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate doctoral student's perceptions of Wikipedia as an instructional tool in Educational Leadership coursework. The researchers also examined if completing this assignment changed students' understanding and anticipated future use of Wikipedia. Students responded that they felt Wikipedia was as effective or more effective than traditional research assignments for meeting learning objectives. In addition, their perceptions and expected use changed as a result of this assignment. Data suggested that students anticipated use expanded from primarily personal use to applications in academic and professional settings.