From the History of Ancient Egypt and Contemporary Feminist Theory to Advanced Industrial Hygiene and Paleoecology, the Wikipedia Student Program supported a vast disciplinary range of courses in spring 2024, bringing a diverse and incredibly impactful set of contributions to Wikipedia by student editors. As always, it’s an awe-inspiring moment to reflect on the total impact of another successful term.
The numbers at a glance
In spring 2024, more than 6,000 students across 349 postsecondary courses:
- Added 4.74 million words to Wikipedia.
- Added nearly 45,000 references.
- Contributed to 5,660 articles.
- Created 426 new articles.
These numbers are undoubtedly impressive, but thanks to the feedback we receive from both instructors and students, we’re also able to see the impact of the Wikipedia assignment beyond the numerical data.
Beyond the big numbers
Improved student learning outcomes, personal growth, and the exploration of topics like knowledge equity are just a few of the themes that consistently emerged from feedback provided by instructors and their students from the spring term.
Faculty participants expressed appreciation for the program’s comprehensive training modules, resources, and discussion prompts, noting fruitful classroom conversations centered on social justice, representation, and information access for all.
Faculty also remarked on the way the assignment can positively alter the traditional teacher-student relationship within the classroom, leading to true collaboration and increased trust.
“The relationship with my students was enhanced because we learned together how to problem solve,” said one spring term instructor. “It nicely broke down the classroom power dynamic.”
Another instructor echoed this reflection, explaining that the assignment allows students the chance to watch instructors learn – a view not often part of a postsecondary course.
“[Students] enjoy feeling like I’m working with them, rather than lecturing them,” said the instructor, who taught with Wikipedia for the second time this spring.
Faculty and students alike also noted the way the Wikipedia assignment can refresh a course, bringing excitement and motivation to both the teaching and learning experiences.
“I’ve done this project with students for 3 semesters now,” said an instructor. “It always energizes me and gives a practical purpose to my teaching.”
And whether gathered from class-wide surveys or individual conversations, instructors continue to share their students’ reflections on the experience of editing Wikipedia as a course assignment.
One instructor noted how their students reported unanimous enthusiasm for the assignment in their end-of-term course evaluation, underscoring how “every student saw its benefits and appreciated learning how Wikipedia worked.”
“The Wikipedia assignment was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my senior year,” said a student on the eve of graduation.
Even after more than a decade of supporting courses, hearing directly from students and faculty about the assignment’s impact on their personal and academic journeys remains as enriching and motivating for our team at Wiki Education as ever.
To ensure the ongoing success of both instructors and students in the program, Wiki Education continues to refine our existing resources, as well as create new materials and tools for courses. New student training modules launched for the fall term will include detailed guidance on how to communicate with other editors on Wikipedia, as well as how to specifically improve representation of historically underrepresented peoples and subjects.
We can’t wait to see what’s next for the Wikipedia Student Program!
Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada. Apply by September 8 for the fall 2024 term!
