Help:Educators FAQ

Educator's Frequently Asked Questions

Getting involved using Physiopedia in your class is very easy and painfree.  It is free to do, can be accessed by anyone, and the wiki writing is made simple through a convenient editing toolbar. 

Question:  What do I need to do to get my class started using Physiopedia?

    Once you have decided to use Physiopedia for your course, simply sign up for a username, have your students sign up for user names, login, and begin creating content.  We encourage you to contact us about ideas or questions you have for using Physiopedia.

Question:  I'm not sure what type of project I should assign my students, how can I decide?

    There are probably more ways to use this wiki, or any wiki for that matter, than we can come up with on our own.  However, having students contribute to content articles on Physiopedia is an easy way to get your feet wet.  This type of project lends itself well to any clinical management course.  Each student, or group of students can be responsible for updating a condition, or an intervention in an evidence-based manner. Be sure to read the User Tutorial page to learn about creating new pages.  Encourage your students to provide references on each page and use images with permissions and/or the appropriate citation.

Question:  How can I track what my students are creating?

    First, we expect that you have given your students guidance as to what specific content or types of content they should develop.  Each Physiopedia page has a History tab where you can view how various users have contributed.  Additionally, you can flag pages your students are working on by using the Watch feature on each page.  You can provide feedback to your students either privately, or in the Discussion tab on each page.

Question:  So, the entire world can see what my students write?  Is that dangerous?

    It is normal to feel midly aprehensive about setting any student off to do work in a public setting.  This is an important part of professional development for students.  As an instructor, you can see and edit what your students write, and nothing that is created on Physiopedia is anonymous.  By contributing in a world-wide community, your students will being interacting with other professionals on a scope that was unimaginable several years ago!  Explain to your students about wikis and the public nature of this site, and then sit back and watch them create fine content, develop important web skills, and interact with the world community of physio- and physical therapists.