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.
Create an account and then complete the online training for students. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.
Create a User page.
To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself on the user talk page of one of your classmates, who should also be enrolled in the table at the bottom of the page.
Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.
Discuss the topics students will be working on, and determine strategies for researching and writing about them.
Week 4
In class - Wikipedia culture and etiquette
Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
Q&A session with instructor about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.
Assignment - Drafting starter articles
If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use "summary style", in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.
Milestones
All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.
Week 5
In class - Moving articles to mainspace
We'll discuss moving your article out of your sandboxes and into Wikipedia's main space.
A general reminder: Don't panic if your contribution disappears, and don't try to force it back in.
Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
Contact your instructor or Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.
If you are expanding an existing article, copy your edit into the article. If you are making many small edits, save after each edit before you make the next one. Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article.
If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow the instructions in the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.
Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Week 6
In class - Building articles
Demo uploading images and adding images to articles.
Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the table at the bottom of this course page, add your username next to the articles you will peer review. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)
Assignment - Complete first draft
Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Week 7
In class - Group suggestions
Conference with instructor
As a group, offer suggestions for improving one or two other students' articles, based on your ideas of what makes a solid encyclopedia article.
Assignment - Peer review and copyedit
Peer review two of your classmates’ articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.
Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
In class - Media literacy discussion
Speaker on the concepts of neutrality, media literacy
Class discussion and debate on the impact and limits of Wikipedia.
Assignment - Address peer review suggestions
Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback. If you disagree with a suggestion, use talk pages to politely discuss and come to a consensus on your edit.
Week 8
In class - Discuss further article improvements
Continue discussing how the articles can be further improved. Come up with improvement goals for each article for next week.
Assignment - Continue improving articles
Return to your classmates' articles you previously reviewed, and provide more suggestions for further improvement. If there is a disagreement, suggest a compromise.
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on your classmates' suggestions and any additional areas for improvement you can identify.
Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.
In class - In-class presentation
Students give in-class presentations about their experiences editing Wikipedia.
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.
Create an account and then complete the online training for students. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.
Create a User page.
To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself on the user talk page of one of your classmates, who should also be enrolled in the table at the bottom of the page.
Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.
Discuss the topics students will be working on, and determine strategies for researching and writing about them.
Week 4
In class - Wikipedia culture and etiquette
Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
Q&A session with instructor about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.
Assignment - Drafting starter articles
If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use "summary style", in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.
Milestones
All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.
Week 5
In class - Moving articles to mainspace
We'll discuss moving your article out of your sandboxes and into Wikipedia's main space.
A general reminder: Don't panic if your contribution disappears, and don't try to force it back in.
Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
Contact your instructor or Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.
If you are expanding an existing article, copy your edit into the article. If you are making many small edits, save after each edit before you make the next one. Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article.
If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow the instructions in the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.
Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Week 6
In class - Building articles
Demo uploading images and adding images to articles.
Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the table at the bottom of this course page, add your username next to the articles you will peer review. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)
Assignment - Complete first draft
Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Week 7
In class - Group suggestions
Conference with instructor
As a group, offer suggestions for improving one or two other students' articles, based on your ideas of what makes a solid encyclopedia article.
Assignment - Peer review and copyedit
Peer review two of your classmates’ articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.
Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
In class - Media literacy discussion
Speaker on the concepts of neutrality, media literacy
Class discussion and debate on the impact and limits of Wikipedia.
Assignment - Address peer review suggestions
Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback. If you disagree with a suggestion, use talk pages to politely discuss and come to a consensus on your edit.
Week 8
In class - Discuss further article improvements
Continue discussing how the articles can be further improved. Come up with improvement goals for each article for next week.
Assignment - Continue improving articles
Return to your classmates' articles you previously reviewed, and provide more suggestions for further improvement. If there is a disagreement, suggest a compromise.
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on your classmates' suggestions and any additional areas for improvement you can identify.
Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.
In class - In-class presentation
Students give in-class presentations about their experiences editing Wikipedia.