When you search for scientists online, Wikipedia is probably the first result. But did you know that 82% of Wikipedia biographies are about men? There’s a lot of work to be done to create pages for people who identify as women, African-American, Asian, Asian-American, Latinx, indigenous, and LGBTQ+. On Ada Lovelace Day this year, engineers, … Continued
What does it mean to have scientists of diverse identities represented in the largest, most-accessed encyclopedia worldwide? It means… scientists besides white men are historically recognized for their role in the advancement of STEM fields. correcting the stereotype of “what a scientist looks like” (did you think man with a lab coat when I said … Continued
Have you heard about Virginia Tucker? She was one of the first “human computers” in space engineering history. What about Katheryn Emanuel Lawson? She was one of the first female African American chemists who worked in Sandia National Laboratories. Or how about Margaret Hilda Harper? She was “one of the two physicians who described that coeliac disease in the pancreas and … Continued
When you gather a group of about 800 people to celebrate open knowledge, you can’t help but feel the excitement and hope in the room. Wiki Education staff were thrilled to join the Wikimedia community in Stockholm, Sweden for Wikimania 2019. We’ve accomplished a lot together as a community and it was a great to … Continued
“Wikipedia’s popularity and reach mean that archaeologists should actively engage with the website by adding and improving archaeological content.” Academia is changing its mind about Wikipedia. Peer-reviewed research studies published in the last few years have found value in teaching students how to evaluate the site, rather than turning them away from using it altogether. One … Continued
When Hilary Wilson first took a look at the Wikipedia article she was to improve for her Earth science class, she realized the geological element didn’t even have a clear definition stated on the page. “That was my main inspiration for what needed to be changed and added.” The assignment was part of Dr. Jim … Continued
“Most medical students use Wikipedia, yet most medical schools do not train students to improve Wikipedia or use it critically.” So begins the research study published by MedEdPublish this spring about the use of Wikipedia in medical education. The article ultimately encourages the implementation of Wikipedia writing assignments “across all health professional schools.” Attitudes toward … Continued
How did you learn to think creatively? Maybe creative thinking is a practice in which you’ve always excelled. You played an instrument as a child. A teacher commended you on your ability to draw or to write. Maybe you majored in studio art. So often, though, cultural narratives about “creativity” center upon a narrow definition … Continued
Want to learn about a prominent Japanese anarchist feminist at the turn of the century? Or Japan’s first woman journalist? How about an important activist in Japan’s 20th century women’s liberation movements, who was imprisoned repeatedly for her politics? Thanks to Dr. Elyssa Faison’s students at the University of Oklahoma, you can now read all … Continued
