Using Wikis to Support Teamwork Skills in Software Engineering Courses

One of the essential learning outcomes for software engineering students is to be able to work effectively in a team. A challenge facing academia is how to facilitate the development of these skills in students. One common approach is to involve students in collaborative activities such as group projects. However, working in a group does not necessarily imply that students develop the desired teamwork skills. In this study, we demonstrate how wikis can be used to support the development of students´ teamwork skills in the context of software engineering projects. Students taking a software engineering course at the IT Department at King Saud University used the wiki to deliver their group project. The results of this study suggest that wikis can contribute to the development of students´ teamwork skills by facilitating collaborative work and making team dynamics transparent. Students felt that the experience helped develop and demonstrate their teamwork skills.