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With terms such as “blog” and “podcast,” the new computer jargon that has become second nature to many UCLA students has a new term to add to its lexicon: “wiki.”

Wiki, meaning “quick” in Hawaiian, is a new type of Web site that allows users to directly edit a database of information with no prior knowledge of Web site programming.

These databases are freely added to and edited by users and are meant to facilitate communication between them as they make the sharing of information easy and accessible.

“Wiki Web sites are a way for a small group of people to share the editing of information on the web,” UCLA programmer Mike Franks said.

Franks is currently looking into options regarding the implementation of wikis for individual UCLA classes, which would be accessible to students and faculty.

Director of educational technology Ruth Sabean said there is a current project underway focusing on finding a structure that would allow faculty members to integrate wikis and other new forms of technology into their curriculum, as a means of improving communication methods.

“We want to help UCLA improve instruction using technology,” she said. “Wikis and blogs are good examples of collaborative tools that originally were not used for instruction, but now are proving to be beneficial. We want to make it easy for faculty to be able to utilize them if it’s necessary.”

This project will take roughly one to two years, depending on the availability of software that would be easy to integrate with the technology already in place, Franks said.

Each wiki Web site has an “edit” key at the top that allows the user to add or alter the material on the page.

“There are obvious risks with this, which is why I only use them with a small group of people I trust,” Franks said.

A wiki was created by UCLA programmers for the purpose of network security administration on UCLA networks. That wiki is password-protected and is not open to the public, as it pertains to confidential information regarding virus protection and network stability.

But users with access to the wiki are able to share information regarding work-related matters with more ease, as the free exchange of information allows administrators to contribute information to the common database.

Franks is currently working with class Web sites and hopes to add wikis as another tool students can utilize when working in groups.

“Wiki is just a new tool and an exciting one, but it’s not replacing anything,” he said.

Some students are supportive of the prospect of a wiki that could be integrated with their classes.

“I think wikis are great resources,” said Christina Lenon, a second-year political science and international development studies student. “They’d be good for classes because they’re editable and since classes are constantly changing it’s good to be able to see what’s been updated. Plus they’re easy to search and user-friendly.”

The first wiki Web site was created in 1995, after a programmer found discussion boards constraining and restrictive to information sharing, Franks said. Since then, the wiki has grown, and many popular Web sites, such as wikipedia.org and

urbandictionary.com, have been developed as a result, Franks said.