Looking back at spring 2021 as we forge ahead
I’ve been managing the Wikipedia Student Program since 2014, and I can say with confidence that one of its greatest strengths is its continuity of purpose and positive outcomes for students and instructors alike. To be sure, each term brings its own set of challenges and learning opportunities, but during the turmoil of the pandemic, it was … Continued
What Wikipedia means to our instructors
Ask 10 people what they think about Wikipedia, and you’re likely to get 11 opinions. Few websites evoke the same type of strong reactions as does Wikipedia, and this is especially true within academia. From praise to disparagement and from open and full embracement to grudging acceptance to outright rejection, Wikipedia is a constant source … Continued
Recapping the Fall 2020 term
In many ways, Fall 2020 was a typical term for us at Wiki Education. We supported 322 courses across a variety of subjects, course levels, and institutions. But Fall 2020 was by no means ordinary. The ongoing challenges of the pandemic and the tumultuous nature of the presidential election made it a term like no other. … Continued
Improving Wikipedia’s coverage of Indigenous Canadians
Improving Wikipedia’s coverage of historically marginalized populations has long been a driving force behind our work, so we’re proud to highlight the incredible work of two classes from Fall 2020 that sought to advance Wikipedia’s content around Indigenous populations of Canada. Both courses tackled the systemic biases that continue to pervade Canadian institutions as they relate to Indigenous peoples … Continued
A Wikipedian six years in the making
In 2014, I joined Wiki Education as Program Manager for the Wikipedia Student Program. Six years later, I can now proudly call myself a real Wikipedian! Though I had never edited Wikipedia myself before joining Wiki Education, I believed whole-heartedly in its mission of making knowledge free and accessible to all and was thrilled to be part of … Continued
10 years of tackling Wikipedia’s equity gaps
This fall, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Wikipedia Student Program with a series of blog posts telling the story of the program in the United States and Canada. In 2018, Wiki Education launched a three year strategic plan whose three pillars are equity, quality, and reach. Equity, however, has long been one of the defining … Continued
10 years of pedagogical value from Wikipedia assignments
This fall, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Wikipedia Student Program with a series of blog posts telling the story of the program in the United States and Canada. After a decade of running the Wikipedia Student Program, we know why so many instructors are drawn to this novel assignment and why they return to … Continued
Spring 2020: Reflections on a term to remember
A time of transition To say that the spring 2020 academic term was unlike any other is a gross understatement. The pandemic abruptly upended normal life, and the students and instructors in our program were no exception. Mid-way through the term, just as most of our students were about to begin drafting their contributions and … Continued
Participating professor wins President’s Award for Innovative Teaching
Dr. Kathleen Sheppard has done it again! In 2019, Dr. Sheppard received two awards for her innovative pedagogy and her outstanding leadership at Missouri University of Science and Technology where she is Associate Professor of History and Political Science. She was awarded the Faculty Experiential Learning Award specifically for her use of the Wikipedia assignment in her … Continued
New application process for Student Program in Fall 2020 term
As higher education plans for a potential virtual term in Fall 2020 in the United States and Canada, Wiki Education is expecting to have an extremely high demand for our Student Program, where we support faculty who assign Wikipedia editing as a class assignment. While we would love to support everyone who’s interested in teaching … Continued