In March, Wikipedia Content Expert Adam Hyland and I were honored to join faculty at Brown University and Northeastern University to encourage them to join the Wikipedia Year of Science.
At Brown, we discussed the impact students can make by writing Wikipedia articles. Our host, Jim McGrath (pictured above), organized a group of faculty from several disciplines to hear how they can integrate Wikipedia can into any course to achieve their student learning objectives.
We spoke with faculty intrigued by the idea of sponsoring a Visiting Scholar. Visiting Scholars are experienced Wikipedia editors who have proven records of improving Wikipedia. When a host institution offers access to university resources, scholars use those resources to identify and write articles within a topic area that need improvement. This program is a high-impact, low-stakes way for faculty, librarians, or university departments to improve Wikipedia.
At Northeastern, Dr. Cecelia Musselman and Amanda Rust joined us for a hands-on workshop about teaching science communication through Wikipedia. Instructors from the Biology and English departments came to hear and share ideas about incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into their classrooms.
Whether students are studying biology or literature, editing Wikipedia helps them do in-depth research and to build communication skills required for any discipline or career.
Thanks to our hosts for bringing us to their campuses to share Wiki Ed’s programs and the Wikipedia Year of Science!
