Brian Benzinger, author of the blog Solution Watch has an excellent piece called “Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0“, and in Part 3 he discusses Wikipedia and wiki use in education. He mentions Vicki Davis and her groundbreaking work integrating the wiki into her teaching, and includes her reflection on the debate about the integrity of information in Wikipedia:

“With information changing at an accelerated pace, I think the case for wiki-supplementation and wiki-publication can be made. This could ensure that more accurate information is included but could also make student’s heads spin as a chapter changes while they are studying it.”

Ben goes on to say, “It’s a very interesting question and thinking back to my High School education, textbooks were dated as much as 6-10 years. Some even having my parents signatures in them! How long will it take for school systems to replace old books with new ones containing accurate information? It’s funny. I’ve come across multiple claims online where teachers tell students not to use Wikipedia because information may not be accurate when anyone can edit the information, but at the same time, the school may not even own up to date prints.”

I think this should be dubbed the reverse Wikipedia argument, because it’s a brilliant comeback to those who argue that Wikipedia isn’t a reliable source of information – neither is a 6-10 year old textbook!