Using a Wiki as a platform for formative evaluation

Expert reviewers used a Wiki to provide evaluative comments on a set of educational modules developed by the Digital Library (DL) Curriculum Development project, a joint effort of researchers at the University of North Carolina and Virginia Tech, with funding from the National Science Foundation. A total of 32 experts from 23 universities in 6 countries provided comments on 10 draft educational modules. The Wiki was an effective tool for the reviewers to identify and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the modules, to share their experiences of teaching DL courses, and to communicate with the project team. The Wiki played an important role as a venue for an evaluation process that was available to the DL community at large.