Writing a Wikipedia Encyclopedia Entry as a Course

Writing a Wikipedia Encyclopedia Entry as a Course Assignment: A Multifaceted Learning Opportunity for Students Lisa M. Brown, Ph. D, ABPP Katie J. Carlson, B. A. Amanda Wallick, B. A. Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA

Workshop Outline • APS Wikipedia Initiative • Introduction to Teaching with Wikipedia • Foundations of Clinical Trauma

Foundations of Clinical Trauma Dashboard

Association for Psychological Science: Wikipedia Initiative Does Wikipedia get psychological information right? • • • When the general public searched for psychological info, Wikipedia is often the top result It’s our responsibility as psychological scientists to ensure that this information is accurate and reliable Thus, APS created the Wikipedia Initiative

Association for Psychological Science: Wikipedia Initiative How do we tackle this issue? • The easiest way to improve psychology articles on Wikipedia is to make editing articles part of a course writing assignment. • Students contribute content to Wikipedia in place of writing a traditional research paper.

Association for Psychological Science: Wikipedia Initiative What do students gain from this? • Students gain valuable experience from • • • writing Wikipedia articles by communicating effectively to general audiences Supporting statements with proper citations Organizing their writing for logical flow and clarity, and responding to comments from reviewers. Ability to write for a multitude of audiences

Teach with Wikipedia The idea: Replace a research paper or other assignment by asking students to update or create a Wikipedia article on a course topic. • Free print and online materials to run the assignment provided by Wiki Ed. • Service learning assignment improves content on Wikipedia in your subject area. • Students gain writing, research, media literacy, and critical thinking skills. • Interact with a live audience and publish their work on Wikipedia.

Assignment overview • Students are asked to create accounts, learn about Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines • Students are asked to evaluate series of articles, analyzing the content with regards to neutrality, the quality of sources, comprehension, and more • Students are asked to improve a topic on Wikipedia using academic sources to back up their work

Small projects • Typically 2 -5 weeks in length • One assignment per week • Less impactful to Wikipedia • Try to focus on the digital literacy skills • Students typically make their first edit “live” without drafting it first

Full research project • Typically 6 -12 weeks in length • One or two Wikipedia assignments each week • Includes peer review • Students start work in draft space and then move live

98% instructors say Wikipedia assignments are better for teaching digital literacy than traditional assignments

Category Featured articles

Five Pillars of Wikipedia 1. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia 2. Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view 3. Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute 4. Editors should treat each other with respect and civility 5. Wikipedia has no firm rules Rules are not “carved in stone”

Anatomy of a Wikipedia Page

Anatomy of a Wikipedia Page

Anatomy of a Wikipedia Page Discussion

Anatomy of a Wikipedia Page

What is a Sandbox? • Blank space to practice/learn editing skills

What is a Sandbox? • Blank space to practice/learn editing skills

Editing Basics Verifiability – Material challenged or likely to be challenged and all quotations, must be attributed to a reliable, published source – Verifiability means that people reading and editing the encyclopedia can check that information comes from a reliable source – Wikipedia emphasizes secondary sources to establish notability

Editing Basics What is a reliable source? • Academic and peer-reviewed publications • Other reliable sources include: – university-level textbooks – books published by respected publishing houses – magazines – journals – mainstream newspapers

Editing Basics No Original Research – Wikipedia does not publish original thought – All material must be attributable to a reliable, published source – Articles may not contain any new analysis or synthesis of published materials that serves to advance a position not clearly advanced by the sources

Editing Basics Notability – Test used by editors to decide whether a given topic warrants its own article A topic is presumed to merit an article if: 1. It meets either the general notability guideline or the criteria outlined in a subjectspecific guideline 2. It is not excluded under the What Wikipedia is Not policy

Editing in the Classroom: Case Studies

Wikipedia Editing • Potential benefits • Enhancing information literacy and technology skills • Connecting students with a larger community • Sustaining engagement with course material • Advancing communication skills

Wiki Education Foundation Resources Shane-Simpson, C. , & Brooks, P. J. (February 2016). The dos and don’ts of Wikipedia editing in the undergraduate psychology classroom. APS Observer, 29(2). http: //www. psychologicalscience. org/index. php/publications/observer/2016/february-16/the-dos-and-donts-ofwikipedia-editing-in-the-undergraduate-psychology-classroom. html

Editing Support • Wiki Education Foundation support staff: Course set up and on-going online support • Wikipedia campus ambassadors: Wiki support for specific questions • Librarians: Workshops throughout the course • Other instructors: Ask us for help! https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wikipedia: Wiki_Ed/College_of_S taten_Island, _CUNY/Psychology_(Fall_2016)

Foundations of Clinical Trauma Dashboard Course page: https: //dashboard. wikiedu. org/course s/Palo_Alto_University/Foundations_o f_Clinical_Trauma_Psychology_Fall_20 18_(Fall) Contact the Wiki Education Foundation helaine@wikiedu. org Allows the instructor to track the edits of their students Provides contacts within Wiki Ed for technical support

Training Materials on the Dashboard Training modules for instructors and students

Building a Template for a Stub Article

Building a Template for a Stub Article • 4 linked assignments, due two weeks apart. • Build skills incrementally in preparation for article publication. 1. online training 2. insertion of initial content into the template 3. content expansion in response to feedback 4. final revision and publication of the article.

Loading the Sandbox • • Help the students transition to writing in Wikipedia easier. Basic information about the selected psychologist and the biography template was added into each of the students’ sandbox.

In-Class and Supplemental Support

Talk Page Feedback • Feedback provided in the students’ sandbox talk page may suggest additional research references/websites to use, reminders not to plagiarize, and how to use hyperlinks.

Foundation of Clinical Trauma: Pilot • Piloting the Wikipedia Assignment • Replaced prior APA-research paper assignment with Wikipedia article • Asked students to co-author article • Aid in transition • Peer-support • Step-Wise Assignment • Completing training modules • Topic approval • Editing another article • Peer editing process • Final submission “going live” on Wikipedia • Ask students to include entries on their CV. s

Foundation of Clinical Trauma: Student Feedback • Student Feedback from Pilot Assignment • Co-Authorship • Most students indicated this was unnecessary • Preferred to create or edit their own article • Wikipedia Support • Steep learning curve reported from students • References Formatting • Topic Selection

Foundation of Clinical Trauma: Fall 2018 • Wikipedia Support • Offered 3 targeted drop-in Zoom meetings with TA for students to attend • Brainstorming topics for article • Wikipedia support (editing, etc). • General questions • Removed co-authorship • Students reported this simplified the article creation process. • Allowed students greater freedom in exploring topics relevant to their personal interests • Asked students to present their article to the class upon completion

Student Articles • Selection of student articles from Foundations of Trauma (Fall 2018)

Thank You! • Lisa M. Brown: lbrown@paloaltou. edu • Katie J. Carlson: kcarlson@paloaltou. edu • Amanda Wallick: awallick@paloaltou. edu