Date post: | 12-May-2015 |
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Wikipedia
A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research
Presented by:
Loren Kleinman, Director, Writing Center, Passaic County Community College
Ken Karol, Technology Resource Specialist, Passaic County Community College
Elizabeth Nesius, Director, Academic Foundations English, Hudson County Community College
Wikis & Wikipedia
Wiki – collaborative Web site edited by the user community
Theoretically, always a work in progress, never perfected
Wikipedia – free, multilingual online wiki/encyclopedia (hence “Wikipedia”)– Over 4 million articles– Nearly half a billion unique visitors per month– Essentially, the default encyclopedia of our
time
What we hear from faculty “I don’t allow my students to use
Wikipedia.” “Wikipedia is not a valid source for
research.” “Wikipedia is not accurate and the
entries are not complete.” “Wikipedia is the source for
misinformation.”
Myths & Fears about Wikipedia
Full of inaccuracies – Anyone with Internet access can edit – Articles are constantly being changed
Loss of control – Academics and librarians no longer
gatekeepers– Not vetted by “professionals”
Too easy
Realities about Wikipedia Wikipedia is the largest collaborative
writing project in human history Well-Monitored
– Inaccurate information will not last long; repeat offenders’ accounts disabled
– Insignificant information (e.g. vanity entries) will not be published
Information must be verifiable to stay While it is easy to access (in multiple
senses), readers are directed to more sources for deeper information
Embracing Wikipedia
Generally well-cited– Leads to other sources of information– Citations for information offered or requested if
unavailable Neutral voice
– Having multiple contributors leads to a consensus Provides good topical overviews
– Better than most free Web sites It’s timely
– Updated more often than traditionally published encyclopedias
– Updated more often than most other websites
Title V Writing Initiative at PCCC (2007-2012)
40 sections of Writing Intensive general education courses (Composition 1 prerequisite)
Portfolio assessment of writing, critical thinking, and information literacy– Info lit assessment had already been conducted for 10 years in
PCCC’s first-year experience course Information literacy weak spots: citation and evaluation of
sources Problem not that students were using Wikipedia but rather
they weren’t citing it and weren’t exploring other sources Students were using it even if they were told not to (and
then simply didn’t cite it) However, instructors often did not suggest alternative
outside sources of information
Incorporating Wikipedia into the First-year Experience
Every section of the First-Year Experience has an Information Literacy module
Librarians present during one class period Students complete an Exercise for homework and a
Project that is 25% of their final grade for the course
Inspired by findings in WI course assessment, Wikipedia incorporated into Exercise and Project– Students find Wikipedia entry on their selected research
topic– Students cite the Wikipedia entry in MLA format– Students explore one of the citations included in the
original entry
Composition, WAC & Wikipedia
Don’t have to use Wikipedia as a reference source; use it to bring authentic, immediate audience for student writing (Cummings).
Wikipedia assignments offer the chance to consider student writers' responsibilities in topic selection (Cummings)
Use it as a teaching tool as part of the Bookshelf Project. Creating knowledge rather than consuming it Use as an opportunity to teach critical thinking. Teach the importance of credibility and clarity in writing.
Case Study
Robert Cummings, author of Lazy Virtues: Teaching Writing in the Age of Wikipedia and an assistant professor of English and director of First-Year Composition Program at Columbus State University, in Georgia.
Robert Cummings says, “As a class we then observe how Wikipedians react to our contributions and get advice from each other to develop effective rhetorical strategies before we respond to our audience online. Lastly, students are asked to compose an essay where they reflect on the experience of writing for this large audience, and how the experience fails or succeeds in helping them to develop their writing skills. Their grade is determined mainly by their participation in these offline writing assignments, and not the text contributed to Wikipedia itself.”
Using Wikipedia in Class Make sure your students understand
how it works Demonstrate (or have them try)
changing an article—can you get through a lecture without the changes being reversed?
WID– Form carries out purpose: Articles on
different topics look different– Gives context to the rules of discipline-
specific writing
Collaborative Learning
Wikipedia can support collaborative learning for students and faculty:Students Faculty
Support peer-to-peer interaction in virtual spaces
Engage in the student writing process on a deeper level
Distribute and share knowledge Connect student learning with what they will most likely be
doing after graduation
Students as writers, editors, and contributors rather than
readers/consumers
Promote and foster instructional change
What We’ve Learned
Wikipedia sparks conversation! Students are going to use it no
matter what, and it’s our job to make sure they use it well.
Questions / Comments
Has your perception of Wikipedia changed?
Would you continue this conversation with colleagues at your college or university?
Would you be willing to integrate Wikipedia into your research or writing lesson planning?
Works Cited
Cummings, Robert. “Are We Ready to Use Wikipedia to Teach Writing?” Inside Higher Ed. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
Patch, Paula. “Meeting Student Writers Where They Are: Using Wikipedia to Teach Responsible Scholarship.” Teaching English in the Two-Year College, v37 n3 p278-285 Mar 2010. National Council of Teachers of English. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.