Summarizing the Conversation: Empowering Students to Write and Disseminate Scholarly Literature Reviews via Wikipedia-Editing Assignments

Rachel Miller, PhD is an associate professor of art history at California State University, Sacramento. When assigning art history research papers, a question from students that I always dread is “How many sources do I have to use?” I’ve tried out different responses, from a curt “As many as you need” to a lengthy explanation … Continued

Open Pedagogy in Practice: An Academic Librarian’s Wikipedia Journey

What’s it like to learn to edit Wikipedia? Librarian Kelly Omodt at the University of Idaho Library reflects on her path from newcomer to contributor as a Wiki Scholars course participant. My introduction to Wikipedia, like most school kids, was a warning to never use the site for serious research. Imagine my surprise while reading … Continued

Hitting the High Notes: Balancing Opera and Outreach at Wiki Education

Melissa Joseph is an outreach specialist at Wiki Education, where she leads strategic campaigns to connect scholars and scientists with opportunities to contribute to Wikipedia. With a background in nonprofit education work and partner management, she brings over five years of experience in digital outreach, student support, and relationship building. Alongside her role at Wiki … Continued

Breaking generational ceilings: 8 questions with a student editor

Biology major Devani Rodriguez-Rangel is a recent graduate of Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia. As part of her Wikipedia assignment, Devani improved the Wikipedia article focused on environmental scientist Miriam Rodón Naveira. 1. Why was it important to add more information to Miriam Rodón Naveira’s Wikipedia article? What did you hope readers would take … Continued

Wikipedia in the Classroom

Dr. David Peña-Guzmán is an associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Comparative World Literature at San Francisco State University. He works on animal studies, the history and philosophy of science, continental philosophy, and theories of consciousness, and is the author of When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness, co-author of Chimpanzee Rights: The Philosophers’ Brief, and co-host … Continued

The Wikipedia Assignment: 7 questions with a student editor

Valeria Ramirez is a Computer Information Systems major focusing on cybersecurity at Victor Valley College. As part of her Wikipedia assignment, Valeria created the new Wikipedia article for Mexican aerospace engineer Ali Guarneros Luna.  1. Why was it important that Wikipedia have an article about Ali Guarneros Luna and why did you choose to create … Continued

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Wikipedia

Charisse L’Pree is an associate professor of communications at Syracuse University. She incorporated a Wikipedia assignment into her course for the first time last term. I teach media effects to professional public communication students. I used the Wikipedia assignment as a final collaborative project in a 300 level class that meets the diversity requirement for Newhouse undergraduate … Continued

Another Dimension of Citizenship

Tona Hangen is a professor of history at Worcester State University. She incorporated a Wikipedia assignment into her course for the first time last term. For over a decade I have taught a history and political science course on American citizenship that coincides with the fall election season in even-numbered years. In my usual version, … Continued

Helping students become informed knowledge producers with the Wikipedia assignment

David-James Gonzales is an Assistant Professor of History at Brigham Young University and the host of New Books in Latino Studies. He is a historian of migration, urbanization, and social movements in the U.S., and specializes in Latina/o/x politics and social movements.  I began teaching with the Wikipedia assignment in the spring of 2018. At … Continued