Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Stanford University/Journey to Center of Earth (Winter)

In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment

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:

• Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
• Evaluating Wikipedia

All the "Training" and "Exercise" modules are provided by Wikipedia; but we show an Assignment Due Date for each because it is important that you compete these on-line modules.

Note: all Wikipedia assignments and exercises are due Sundays before midnight to keep us on schedule, but  the JTCE homeworks are due Tuesdays in class.  All homeworks must be submitted on paper.

Assignment - Think about your areas of interest

We've compiled a list of topics that have made good focus areas for students in previous iterations of JTCE, but you are very welcome to come up with your own suggestions.  Select *three* topics and write one paragraph on the importance and/or interest of each.  These are not your Wikipedia topics, but they help you begin to focus, help us to provide individual guidance;  and allow us to recognize potential overlap/duplication. Probably your Wikipedia page (and final presentation for grad students) will lie within one of the three topic areas you write about today.  Many of these topics are too broad for a Wikipedia page for this class, but these ideas can help you figure out what most interests you.  Examples:

Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia

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.)

Milestones

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account, and preliminary ideas for interest areas.

Assignment - Homework #1

The first of four problem sets will be handed out Tuesday 01/14, due the following Tuesday: Note: JTCE homeworks are due Tuesdays;  but Wikipedia assignments and exercises are due Sunday evening

Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia

Exercise

Evaluate an article

Assignment - Choose possible topics

Exercise

Choose a topic

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6

Assignment - Exercise

Finalizing your topic

Finalize your topic / Find your sources

Assignment - Initial outline of topic / likely sources

After completing this weeks training and topic-choice exercise, write a series of bullets that are the outline of your planned page; list at least three potential sources; identify at least three figures you might want to include

Assignment - Add to an article

Exercise

Add a citation

Assignment - Homework #2

The second of four problem sets will be handed out Tuesday, due the following Tuesday 

Assignment - Start drafting your contributions

Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Assignment - What images am I allowed to use, to save making my own?

I've belatedly realized this will be a hang-up for many/most of you, because "most of the time, images you find online aren't approved for use on Wikipedia".  Now I realize why some oof the Wikipedia images seem so marginally useful, and this is why I've added this training module.  I'm also posting a complete guide online.  If you can persduade someone to release the image you want to use, ask me - Wikipedia makes it trivially easy for them to assign a license.

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Assignment - First, preliminary draft due

This draft must be complete enough – i.e. including all the disussion topics and facts that you expect to be in your final article – that a fellow student can meaningfully comment on these aspects.  The better prepared your first draft, the more useful the comments will be.

Assignment - Homework #3

The third of four problem sets will be handed out Tuesday, due the following Tuesday 

Assignment - Training

Peer review an article

Exercise: Guiding framework

Assignment - Review your colleague's work

You will be assigned a draft article written by a classmate, and expected to provide the constructive and helpful review in the same detail as you hope to receive on your article.

You will write your review in the Talk page associated with the Sandbox page you are reviewing.

Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Assignment - Respond to your peer review & revise your work

You will have feedback from another student 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.

You will make changes to your article in your sandbox; but you must also write a one-paragraph reflection/response to the review that you received, in the Talk page associated with your sandbox.

Resources:

• Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
• Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.

Assignment - Second, near-final draft due

The second, near-final draft should be the content that you would be willing to publish it and have others know who had written it!  The better prepared this draft, the more useful the comments will be.

Assignment - Homework #4

The last of four problem sets will be handed out Tuesday, due the following Tuesday 

Assignment - Review a different colleague's near-final work

You will be assigned a second draft "near-final" article written by a classmate, and expected to provide the constructive and helpful review in the same detail as you hope to receive on your article 

Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

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

Assignment - Exercise

Self-nominate yourself for stardom!

Nominating your article for Did You Know

Assignment - Continue improving your article

Exercise

Add links to your article

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.

Respond to your second peer review: You will have feedback from different student 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.  As you strive to write with economy, clarity and precision, if in doubt "the reviewer is right": your reviewer sees your work with fresher eyes than your own!  

Polish your work.  Format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

Assignment - Dead Week

no work due, except to prepare for the Final session

It's the final week to develop your article, that will be read and graded on 03/20 immediately after the Final.

• Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
• Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!

Graduates (200-level enrollees) prepare your presentation.

Undergrads (100-level enrollees) write an informal reflection on your Wikipedia experience (< 1 page) addressing some or all of:

 ·       Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?

·       Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?

·       Peer Review: Include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?

·       Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?

·       Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?

In class - Final - Wednesday 03/20, 08

30–11:30

In-class presentation (200-level enrollees)

Active engagement and questioning (everyone, but especially undergrads)

Milestones

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.