Teaching History with Wikipedia
Though chiefly concerned with the past, an increasing number of historians are turning to new technologies to ply their trade. The growing field of digital history is helping historians to comb through large quantities of historical data and to, in many instances, reimagine the past. It’s no surprise then, that a number of historians would … Continued
Reflecting on open educational practice at Hewlett and Creative Commons meetings
At the end of April, Wiki Ed staff traveled to Toronto, Canada, to participate in two conferences with open education themes: the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Annual OER Meeting and the Creative Commons Global Summit. Both conferences confirmed the work Wiki Ed is engaged in is crucial to the future of open education, especially … Continued
Wiki Ed at the NWSA Chair and Director meeting in Chicago
In early March, I returned to the National Women’s Studies Association’s (NWSA) regional meeting of directors and department chairs in Chicago. We attended this meeting for the third year because it gives us an opportunity to learn about initiatives within women’s studies departments and to share updated strategies and resources with highly influential faculty. How … Continued
Learning and sharing at Wikimedia Conference 2017
Wiki Ed runs programs connecting Wikipedia to higher education in the United States and Canada — but the world is larger than just the boundaries of our programs. There are many organizations and individual volunteers around the world who, like Wiki Ed, also run programs to form relationships between Wikipedia and educational institutions, associations, and … Continued
Wikipedia in the Environmental History Classroom
Environmental history is one of the most rapidly growing academic fields. The number of history departments employing an environmental historian has grown from just 4.3% in 1975 to 45% in 2015. The field focuses on the ways humans have shaped and have been shaped by their environment. With recent events like those in Standing Rock … Continued
Inviting criminal justice instructors to make information available to the public
When students bring a critical eye to Wikipedia, comparing its available content to their course readings, academic studies, and personal experiences, they’re often surprised at what information is missing. During their assignment to research a topic and write about it on Wikipedia, they remedy that information disparity. In Annette Nierobisz’s course on Women, Crime, and … Continued
Students, Sources, and Sentinels at AAAS
In February, Boston played host to thousands of scientists, policy makers and journalists who attended the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The conference took place against a background of mounting concern in the scientific community about the future of science during the new presidential administration. While the conference … Continued
Join us at AAAS!
This week, Wiki Education Foundation staff will attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2016, we attended the meeting in Washington, D.C., where we met dozens of scientists across disciplines. Their enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with the public was clear. Wikipedia has a far reach to non-scientists, … Continued
Teaching Digital History with Wikipedia
As more archives become digitized, historians are turning to new technologies to delve into the past. Drawing from a variety of disciplines, ranging from computational science to digital mapping, the burgeoning field of Digital History is enabling historians to comb through vast amounts of historical data and visualize the past in new ways. From archiving … Continued
Students share linguistics with the world
While visiting the Linguistic Society of America Conference in Austin earlier this month, I asked attendees: why do you think the study of linguistics is so relevant today? Their replies were varied: the election, the rise of fake news, the importance of understanding language bias, and knowing how we use rhetoric to persuade others. In … Continued