How plagiarism is different on Wikipedia and how to help your students avoid it
While the overwhelming majority of students strive to avoid plagiarism on Wikipedia, they sometimes still miss the mark. Wikipedia’s definition of plagiarism differs in important ways from those set forth by academia, which is often the root of misunderstandings related to plagiarism. When students are caught plagiarizing, it’s often a case of close-paraphrasing. Students might … Continued
Assessing Wikipedia contributions
It’s the end of the term which means grading season is upon us. The ultimate goal of a Wikipedia assignment is to simultaneously improve content on Wikipedia while providing students with important digital literacy skills. But doubtless, students are likely eager to find out their grades, and instructors may be wondering how exactly to assess … Continued
5 things you didn’t know the Dashboard can do
Winter and Spring terms are officially underway. We already have 3,500 students enrolled who are already learning about, and contributing to, Wikipedia. But as an instructor, how are you supposed to keep up with all that work? Especially if you are just learning about Wikipedia for the first time yourself. Luckily, the Wiki Education Dashboard is here … Continued
Setting expectations for your Wikipedia assignment
While most students in the Classroom Program have written innumerable term papers, few had ever contributed to Wikipedia before joining our program. The Wikipedia assignment differs from the more traditional writing assignment in several key ways, which is why it’s critical to set expectations early on in the term. While Wikipedia is based on a … Continued
Tips for Grading a Wikipedia assignment
As the term begins to wind down, many of our instructors are beginning to assess the work their students contributed to Wikipedia. Just as the Wikipedia assignment differs from traditional writing assignments, so does the grading of these projects. Over the past several terms, our instructors have regularly expressed that they would like more guidance … Continued