Merging traditional and nontraditional research in a capstone course
George Heard is a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Here is an excerpt from an email a student sent me at the end of my course this semester. “Wikipedia is way cooler than I thought, and to have been able to contribute to a chemical … Continued
Sea slugs, jellyfish, and crabs
We rarely associate the process of photosynthesis with animals, but life regularly outpaces our ability to imagine it. For Costasiella ocellifera, a species of sea slug, photosynthesis is part of the way it makes a living. When these sea slugs eat algae, they absorb the undigested chloroplasts and incorporate them in their skin. This practice, called … Continued
Can “behavior” exist absent a brain or nervous system?
Spring in the northern Temperate zone brings an effusive burst of life. Flowers and leaves appear on trees and shrubs from seemingly dead branches, while non-woody perennials emerge from the ground as if from hiding. The burst of flowers and the flush of leaves seems almost miraculous — one day it’s all brown, the next … Continued
Sharing ecological expertise through Wikipedia
Kaitlin Farrell, Ph.D. teaches and coordinates undergraduate labs in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. She is also a member of the team that started WikiProject Limnology & Oceanography. Ecological research, like many other fields, is often shared through peer-reviewed journals, whose articles can be locked behind paywalls. In addition, such … Continued
Real-world learning of biological systematics
Kris White an Assistant Professor in the Biological and Environmental Sciences Department at Georgia College & State University. In all of the Biology courses that I teach, I strive to show students how the material is relevant to their every day lives. Most recently I taught a Biological Systematics course to upper level Biology majors, … Continued
The sex lives of plants
The biology of sex determination has come to the forefront of the culture wars, but if you’re a plant biologist, the idea that sex determination is complex is old news. Jennifer Blake-Mahmud’s The Secret Sex Lives of Plants spent time last Fall improving Wikipedia articles on these topics. A student in the class made major improvements … Continued
Science communication and equity on Wikipedia
The American Physical Society (APS) sponsors instructional courses through Wiki Education to help increase the accessibility of physics information and research online. Their dedication to communicating science with the public is easily supported by the Wikipedia platform and Wiki Education courses, which invite scholars and scientists to take part in increasing the quality of information … Continued
Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day with Wikipedia
Today is Ada Lovelace Day, honoring women in STEM. Named after Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, who is widely considered to be one of the first computer programmers. Improving Wikipedia’s coverage of women in STEM has been an ongoing theme around Ada Lovelace Day. In the 10 years we’ve been supporting student editors through our Wikipedia Student … Continued
How a Wiki Scholar improved a Nobel laureate’s biography
We awoke this morning to the exciting news that the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded today to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their work on CRISPR. It’s exciting to see this amazing discovery recognized, and it’s great to see the prize go to women, but I was especially pleased that a participant in one … Continued
Another Wikipedian is cultivated
Dr. Pratima Gupta (she/her/hers) is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist. She recently completed one of our Wiki Scholars courses sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, in which she learned how to add content to Wikipedia pages in her area of expertise. She practices in California with a professional emphasis on medical education and reproductive health rights, justice, and … Continued