A Wikipedian gets assigned to edit Wikipedia in a college class
Adam started editing Wikipedia anonymously in elementary school, making minor copy edits. In 2017, over winter break from high school in Novato, California, he started experimenting more seriously, creating a user account (User:KidAd), improving the writing on a variety of articles, and tackling articles on movies, albums, and politicians. Three years later, he’s racked up … Continued
An assignment that changed a life: Kasey Baker
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. Ten years ago, Kasey Baker was pursuing his master’s degree in public administration at Western Carolina University, when he took a policy analysis course that changed his … Continued
How Wikipedia led to sewing: Tighe Flanagan
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. Tighe Flanagan was just starting his master’s degree in Arab Studies at Georgetown University when he took a class in fall 2010 that gave him an assignment … Continued
From student to professor: Amanda Levendowski
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. Amanda Levendowski was a law school student 10 years ago when her professor assigned her to edit a Wikipedia article as a class assignment, part … Continued
UBC student creates article on missing genus
In the spring 2020 academic term, higher education around the world shifted from in-person to virtual classes. The University of British Columbia was no exception, but for students in Dr. Shona Ellis’s Morphology and Evolution of Bryophytes class, the switch wasn’t as challenging as it could’ve been, because a key assignment was to improve a … Continued
Building student confidence and sharing knowledge outside the academic silo
When Hilary Wilson first took a look at the Wikipedia article she was to improve for her Earth science class, she realized the geological element didn’t even have a clear definition stated on the page. “That was my main inspiration for what needed to be changed and added.” The assignment was part of Dr. Jim … Continued
Why a Wikipedia assignment: a student’s perspective
Sienna Stevens was a student in Dr. Rachel Miller’s Baroque Art class at California State University Sacramento this spring, where she expanded a Wikipedia article as an assignment. Here, she talks about what the experience means to her. Before taking this class, I honestly had no idea that anyone could edit a Wikipedia page. Sure, … Continued
Professor named Woman of the Year for student-centered, equity-focused pedagogy
When your students, colleagues, and institution all recognize you for your teaching, that’s huge. In January, Dr. Kathleen Sheppard of Missouri University of Science and Technology won a teaching award for having her students write for Wikipedia as an assignment. Now, Missouri S&T has also named her their 2019 Woman of the Year for her “willingness to engage actively in issues … Continued
Student’s perspective “completely altered” after Wikipedia assignment
Emilee Helm is a student at the University of Washington. This term, she learned how to create and expand articles on Wikipedia as an assignment in Nathan TeBlunthuis’ Interpersonal Media – Online Communities course. Here, she reflects on what she got out of the experience. When I began working with Wikipedia, I could not have imagined I … Continued
Accurately representing trans identities on Wikipedia
Sometimes making an improvement to a Wikipedia article isn’t about words added. Sometimes a seemingly simple addition to a biography article, like the uploading of a new photo, can make a world of difference. That’s what Cassius Adair of the National Women’s Studies Association found since he’s learned how to edit Wikipedia in our professional … Continued