Challenges and disadvantages of using a wiki as an educational tool:

One of the main issues with using a wiki as an educational tool is the fact that it is a technological tool and as a result there is a certain amount of technological knowledge required in order to implement its use effectively. In some cases, school attempts to incorporate wikis as either teacher tools or general classroom tools have been shown to be either not very effective, or have lower than expected results. This has been attributed to either a lack of technological competence, or lack of desire to make use of the wiki as a tool.

Lacking locking mechanisms, there is potential for e-vandalism, a concern which is considered overstated compared to the observed effect. A more commonly experienced issue is the “edit war” as two or more users of differing opinions on a topic attempt to modify a page to suit their own beliefs or agenda. While this is a common issue for larger wikis, it is unlikely to be a concern in a class based wiki due to teacher oversight.

Writing a Wiki entry is a different kind of writing to that which students have encountered before. They are unlikely to have had the opportunity to author web pages as either individuals or as groups before and as a result they may need more direction when it comes to the mode of writing, the content and the level of detail that the teacher expects them to contribute depending on the level, subject and assignment.