Dr. La’Tonya Rease Miles teaches graduate students in the Santa Clara University Department of Education Leadership. She first incorporated a Wikipedia assignment in spring 2023.
I am a proud first-generation college graduate, and my research focuses on narratives and media representations of the first-generation college experience. But I didn’t fully connect with my first-gen identity until after I completed my doctorate and was working full-time as an academic administrator. Ironically, decades ago, a graduate student that I was supervising cheekily said to me, “You know you are first-gen, right?,” and the world stopped. From that moment, I had language to describe what I had experienced as a working-class, transfer student who made her way to a doctoral program in English literature 3,000 miles away from her family and relatives.
Here’s the thing: for the most part, I could navigate my three different undergraduate institutions fairly well with some intervention from supportive faculty. But it felt like that Ph.D. program at UCLA socked me in the face. Hard. I remember sitting in seminar and being embarrassed not to know particular literary theorists (Derrida comes to mind), and I would scribble names down in my notebook, spelling them phonetically, only to look them up on Wikipedia later so that I had a better understanding of what was going on in class. For the first two years in graduate school, I was too embarrassed to admit when I did not know something or someone. Ultimately, I did make important connections, but we students had to hustle hard to make the camaraderie and sense of belonging happen. The support was not necessarily built into the curriculum.
As a faculty member, I try my best to think about that smart but also unconfident graduate student who I was and to tailor assignments for her. Typically, graduate students, particularly in the humanities, value solo authorship, independence, and coming up with original projects in order to validate their intelligence and place in the academy. Group projects tend to elicit horror at worst and disdain at best. Creating a Wikipedia article from scratch turns those ideas on their heads for graduate students, and they may elicit an even greater boost for those who are first-generation college graduates.
First-gen editor
Initially, I reached out to the Wiki Education team because of a research project. I was curating information about notable first-generation professionals (like Michelle Obama), so my thought was, wouldn’t it be great if someone put this information that I was gathering on Wikipedia to make it more accessible? I wasn’t prepared to be asked to do it myself.
My first response was, “You’ve got to be kidding.” Me? I don’t know how to edit Wikipedia. Isn’t that for . . . Wikipedians? Andrés, my Wiki Education “handler,” as I jokingly but affectionately like to think of him, encouraged me to empower others to become writers and editors by teaching them how to do so in the class. Currently, I teach in the Santa Clara University Department of Education Leadership, a graduate program. Many of the students are first-generation college graduates, students of color, or international, and many come from rural, working-class backgrounds. These students tend to be K-12 educators and leaders, nonprofit leaders, higher education staff at local colleges and universities. With Andrés’ encouragement, I thought, what better way to impact the field than to train others how to use Wikipedia responsibly and for a greater good?
Within a few months of speaking with Andrés, I incorporated the Wikipedia assignment into one of my graduate seminars on educational innovation. Students were charged with creating a Wikipedia article from scratch. During year one, they were assigned BIPOC individuals in STEM fields; and in year two, they created articles for global women-led social enterprises.
Lessons learned
I have incorporated this assignment twice now, two years apart. Here are some of the lessons learned that benefit all students, but particularly those who are first-generation college graduates, or those who may struggle with imposter syndrome. These may include international students or those for whom English is not their first language.
Have students work in groups
In year one, I had students work independently to create an original Wikipedia article. I assumed (probably based on my own experiences, ha!) that graduate students hate working in groups, but at the conclusion of the seminar, several students told me that they actually preferred to pair up — that they relied on their complementary strengths and skillsets. For instance, some felt more comfortable doing the background research on a topic, while another person preferred to write.
The next time I taught the class, I intentionally had students pair up. This had the positive effect of de-emphasizing classroom competition and solo authorship, while also encouraging collaboration.
Celebrate wins in class
Engaging with Wikipedia–whether editing an existing piece or creating an article from scratch — can feel overwhelming and many new Wikipedians are nervous about where to begin. To help mitigate these anxieties, during weekly check ins, I would ask for a volunteer to share a win — any small step that they took. For instance, it could be that they completed their first edit. Or perhaps they found an image that they planned to use on the page. We cheered for every step, which helped normalize success.
Class preview and feedback
Before the final assignment was due at the end of the term, I had the teams share their draft articles (still in the sandbox) with the rest of the class. Each pair walked us through the work in progress and asked for feedback. This presentation was not graded. It was great to see students who, initially, were nervous about the assignment suddenly demonstrate their confidence in only a few short weeks. Sharing their work informally in front of their peers also helped sharpen students’ presentation skills. Lastly, this was a great opportunity to model the Wikipedia community — the goal of drafting an article is not perfection; feedback should be welcome. Once again, the in-class workshop structure was useful in fostering a community of praxis and building trust.
Have students share their work publicly
In year one, I encouraged students to share their completed articles with others in their support system. Some proudly shared their work with family and friends; some even showed off their skills to their own students. Many agreed that this assignment was the most important writing to date in their graduate program because it helped their circle of friends and family better understand their graduate work. Their theses and dissertations may seem obscure to their loved ones. Wikipedia articles are accessible.
Beyond the classroom
It’s been almost three years since I took the leap with this Wikipedia assignment, and I have continued to use Wikipedia as a tool to advance the representation of first-generation college graduates. In order to honor National First Gen Celebration Day each November, I reach out to former students who completed the Wikipedia assignment and I invite them to participate in an edit-a-thon where we edit the pages of notable first-generation professionals. To date, all of the volunteers have been women of color, and most of them identify as first-generation to college. This annual event is a great way to sharpen our Wikipedia skills and to maintain connections beyond the classroom.
But what sticks with me the most, after each course comes to a close? Not just the real-world impact my students made through Wikipedia — but the impact that editing has made on them. My students have told me, often with tears in their eyes or with shaky voices, that learning how to contribute to Wikipedia affirms that the things they value are also important to share with the rest of the world. And perhaps most importantly, that they’re more than capable of filling the gaps themselves.
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 December 1 for priority consideration for spring 2026 courses.
