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The American National Government (POLS 101) course is the introduction to U.S. politics from a political science perspective. My goal for the class is for students to update existing Wikipedia articles on political science topics. I plan to have students work in small groups over the course of the semester (approximately 12 weeks dedicated to the Wikipedia assignments).
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
As a group, discuss the next steps for your project. What do you need to work on as a group to have a full first draft of your article? Are there additional sources you need? Do you need to start writing new content?
Continue to work on the draft of your article edits in your sandbox.
The following elements must be included in the draft:
1. Lead Section
Introductory sentence: States article topic concisely and accurately in single sentence.
2. Article
Content: At least 1-2 paragraph (minimum 4-5 sentences) of new content must be drafted.
3. References
Citations: Using the sources from bibliography, each group should have at least 3-5 sources. Make sure to review that sources meet the Wikipedia standards.
A reminder for your article draft: do not violate Wikipedia plagiarism and copyright standards in your sandbox.
You can always reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.
The Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9 can also be helpful as you continue to develop your article draft
Assignment Grading (10 pts possible):
1 pts: The article draft has been added to the correct place (in your Sandbox).
1 pt: The article draft text includes a lead section with a concise and accurate single sentence.
2 pt: The article draft text includes at least one paragraph of new text.
1 pt: The article draft text includes at least 3-5 sources/references.
1 pt: The citations are relevant and appropriate to the statements where they are cited.
1 pt: The article draft text does not violate Wikipedia plagiarism policies.
1 pt: The writing is high quality (contains no spelling and few grammatical mistakes).
2 pts: Assignment is completed by the deadline (Sunday November 3 11:59PM)
Assignment language adopted from Dr. Jennifer Glass (Georgia Tech)
The process of peer review is about evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the article draft. As you carefully review the article you will identify what the article does well while also describing what can be improved. This process requires a very close read of the article draft.
How to submit your comments
1. On the “Articles” tab of your Wiki dashboard, find the article that you’ve been assigned to review.
2. In the “My Articles” section of the “Home” tab, assign it to yourself to review.
3. Find the sandbox for this article. A list of the sandboxes is included in the email about the assignment and on Blackboard.
4. Open up the existing article so that you can compare the updated draft with the current version of the Wikipedia article.
Once you’ve written the peer review:
5. Go to the Talk page of the sandbox (at the top left of the page). Click new section.
6. Add a subject like “[Your name’s] peer review”
7. Copy and paste your peer review write-up in this space. Sign your name at the end of the review (use four tildes i.e. Dawsynmarsh11 ( talk) 22:52, 25 November 2019 (UTC)Name).
Instructions for writing your peer review
I’ve provided a list of guiding questions that you will use to create your peer review feedback. You will include a short paragraph of feedback for each of the sections listed below.
As you review the article you will assess:
1. The lead section
As a reminder the lead section is the first section of the article. It provides an overview of the rest of the article and contains the most important information about the topic. You should be able to read the lead and feel like you have a good understanding of what the article will be about.
For the peer review you should comment on:
2. Content
One of the main additions to the drafts is additional content for each article.
For the peer review you should comment on:
3. Tone and balance
Wikipedia articles aim for a neutral point of view which means the article should not be an attempt to persuade a reader about the topic. The coverage should also be a summary of existing sources that presents a variety of viewpoints.
For the peer review you should comment on:
4. Sources and references
Articles must include a variety of reliable sources. When you’ve finished reading the article, make sure to also review the references section.
For the peer review you should comment on:
5. Organization
For the peer review you should comment on:
6. Images and media
Only comment if your peers added images or media to the article
For the peer review you should comment on:
7. Overall impressions
For the peer review you should comment on:
Tips
Many people find peer review to be difficult because they don’t want to criticize their classmates’ work. However, keep in mind that you are critiquing the article. With your review make sure to include suggestions, do not just note what could be improved but provide suggestions for how to improve the article.
Assignment Grading: (10 points possible)
1 pt: The peer review has been added to the correct place (as a new section in the talk page of the article sandbox).
1 pt: The peer review is written respectfully and provides constructive criticism.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s lead section.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s content.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s tone and balance.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s references.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s organization.
2 pts: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on your overall impressions.
1 pt: The peer review assignment is completed by the deadline.
Remember the peer review is worth 10% of your Wikipedia project grade.
Due date
Peer reviews must be completed by Tuesday November 12 at 11:59PM.
Assignment adapted from Wikipedia peer review resource and Dr. Jennifer Glass (Georgia Tech)
You have now received feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
It's the final week to develop your article.
The final writing assignment for POLS 101 is reflecting on your experience with the class Wikipedia project.
In this essay you will assess and write about the following (guiding questions have been provided to help you reflect on each of these items):
Critiquing existing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia when you evaluated the article at the start of the semester? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
Your contributions: Include a summary of your edits and additions to article. Why were these valuable additions to the existing article? How do you feel the article compares to earlier versions?
Content: What new content did you learn from this assignment?
Peer review: What did you learn from the process of peer review? What did your peers recommend you change about your article?
Wikipedia: What did you learn about contributing to Wikipedia? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of political science and why is this important?
Guidelines
Your essay should be at least 2 double-spaced pages (1-inch margin, 12-point font).
The essay is due by Sunday December 1 at 11:59PM. Upload the essay on Blackboard (submission link is located in the Wikipedia project folder).
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
This Course
|
Wikipedia Resources
|
Connect
Questions? Ask us:
contactwikiedu.org |
This course page is an automatically-updated version of the main course page at dashboard.wikiedu.org. Please do not edit this page directly; any changes will be overwritten the next time the main course page gets updated. |
The American National Government (POLS 101) course is the introduction to U.S. politics from a political science perspective. My goal for the class is for students to update existing Wikipedia articles on political science topics. I plan to have students work in small groups over the course of the semester (approximately 12 weeks dedicated to the Wikipedia assignments).
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
As a group, discuss the next steps for your project. What do you need to work on as a group to have a full first draft of your article? Are there additional sources you need? Do you need to start writing new content?
Continue to work on the draft of your article edits in your sandbox.
The following elements must be included in the draft:
1. Lead Section
Introductory sentence: States article topic concisely and accurately in single sentence.
2. Article
Content: At least 1-2 paragraph (minimum 4-5 sentences) of new content must be drafted.
3. References
Citations: Using the sources from bibliography, each group should have at least 3-5 sources. Make sure to review that sources meet the Wikipedia standards.
A reminder for your article draft: do not violate Wikipedia plagiarism and copyright standards in your sandbox.
You can always reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.
The Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9 can also be helpful as you continue to develop your article draft
Assignment Grading (10 pts possible):
1 pts: The article draft has been added to the correct place (in your Sandbox).
1 pt: The article draft text includes a lead section with a concise and accurate single sentence.
2 pt: The article draft text includes at least one paragraph of new text.
1 pt: The article draft text includes at least 3-5 sources/references.
1 pt: The citations are relevant and appropriate to the statements where they are cited.
1 pt: The article draft text does not violate Wikipedia plagiarism policies.
1 pt: The writing is high quality (contains no spelling and few grammatical mistakes).
2 pts: Assignment is completed by the deadline (Sunday November 3 11:59PM)
Assignment language adopted from Dr. Jennifer Glass (Georgia Tech)
The process of peer review is about evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the article draft. As you carefully review the article you will identify what the article does well while also describing what can be improved. This process requires a very close read of the article draft.
How to submit your comments
1. On the “Articles” tab of your Wiki dashboard, find the article that you’ve been assigned to review.
2. In the “My Articles” section of the “Home” tab, assign it to yourself to review.
3. Find the sandbox for this article. A list of the sandboxes is included in the email about the assignment and on Blackboard.
4. Open up the existing article so that you can compare the updated draft with the current version of the Wikipedia article.
Once you’ve written the peer review:
5. Go to the Talk page of the sandbox (at the top left of the page). Click new section.
6. Add a subject like “[Your name’s] peer review”
7. Copy and paste your peer review write-up in this space. Sign your name at the end of the review (use four tildes i.e. Dawsynmarsh11 ( talk) 22:52, 25 November 2019 (UTC)Name).
Instructions for writing your peer review
I’ve provided a list of guiding questions that you will use to create your peer review feedback. You will include a short paragraph of feedback for each of the sections listed below.
As you review the article you will assess:
1. The lead section
As a reminder the lead section is the first section of the article. It provides an overview of the rest of the article and contains the most important information about the topic. You should be able to read the lead and feel like you have a good understanding of what the article will be about.
For the peer review you should comment on:
2. Content
One of the main additions to the drafts is additional content for each article.
For the peer review you should comment on:
3. Tone and balance
Wikipedia articles aim for a neutral point of view which means the article should not be an attempt to persuade a reader about the topic. The coverage should also be a summary of existing sources that presents a variety of viewpoints.
For the peer review you should comment on:
4. Sources and references
Articles must include a variety of reliable sources. When you’ve finished reading the article, make sure to also review the references section.
For the peer review you should comment on:
5. Organization
For the peer review you should comment on:
6. Images and media
Only comment if your peers added images or media to the article
For the peer review you should comment on:
7. Overall impressions
For the peer review you should comment on:
Tips
Many people find peer review to be difficult because they don’t want to criticize their classmates’ work. However, keep in mind that you are critiquing the article. With your review make sure to include suggestions, do not just note what could be improved but provide suggestions for how to improve the article.
Assignment Grading: (10 points possible)
1 pt: The peer review has been added to the correct place (as a new section in the talk page of the article sandbox).
1 pt: The peer review is written respectfully and provides constructive criticism.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s lead section.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s content.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s tone and balance.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s references.
1 pt: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on the article’s organization.
2 pts: The peer review provides a short paragraph of comments on your overall impressions.
1 pt: The peer review assignment is completed by the deadline.
Remember the peer review is worth 10% of your Wikipedia project grade.
Due date
Peer reviews must be completed by Tuesday November 12 at 11:59PM.
Assignment adapted from Wikipedia peer review resource and Dr. Jennifer Glass (Georgia Tech)
You have now received feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
It's the final week to develop your article.
The final writing assignment for POLS 101 is reflecting on your experience with the class Wikipedia project.
In this essay you will assess and write about the following (guiding questions have been provided to help you reflect on each of these items):
Critiquing existing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia when you evaluated the article at the start of the semester? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
Your contributions: Include a summary of your edits and additions to article. Why were these valuable additions to the existing article? How do you feel the article compares to earlier versions?
Content: What new content did you learn from this assignment?
Peer review: What did you learn from the process of peer review? What did your peers recommend you change about your article?
Wikipedia: What did you learn about contributing to Wikipedia? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of political science and why is this important?
Guidelines
Your essay should be at least 2 double-spaced pages (1-inch margin, 12-point font).
The essay is due by Sunday December 1 at 11:59PM. Upload the essay on Blackboard (submission link is located in the Wikipedia project folder).
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.