Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Ferris State University/Business Information Systems (Fall 2022)

As a business student it is important to know more about knowledge management systems. (KMS) as well as business models which you will research using Wikipedia.

In this learning activity you will learn about Wikipedia, how to create content, review content and publish content on Wikipedia, a KMS system. Note that additional information will be provided by the instructor in class and in the online classroom.

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings

Tuesday, 30 August 2022

In class - Getting Started with Wikipedia

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.

Class Discussions

I. Thinking about Wikipedia

## What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
1. What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
2. On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude and how might these policies affect coverage of historically underrepresented populations? How might Wikipedia change if it allowed the use of non-published sources, such as oral traditions and histories?
3. Does it matter who writes Wikipedia? If so, why?
4. How does Wikipedia define expertise and what it means to be an expert? How does this compare to more traditional definitions of expertise?

II. Thinking about sources and plagiarism

## Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
1. What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
2. What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
3. What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
4. Wikipedia privileges sources that have gone through a traditional editing and publication process above other types of sources, such as oral records. Why might this be so, and what problems might it lead to in terms of knowledge equity?
5. If Wikipedia relied more heavily on other types of sources, such as oral records, how would that change the encyclopedia?
6. How does Wikipedia's definition of plagiarism compare to what you've encountered as a student in higher education?

III. Wikipedia vs Scholarly Content

## Content Gaps
1. 1. ###* Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What's a content gap?
    - Wikipedia aims to represent the "sum total of human knowledge." Despite its millions of articles, significant content gaps still persist. This is especially evident in topics related to women, minorities, and other historically marginalized populations. Several initiatives seek to address these content gaps, often labeled as WikiProjects.
    - What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them? What are some reasons that a content gap might arise? What are some of the consequences of content gaps? What are some ways to remedy them?
2. Notability and Neutrality
  - ##** What is the relationship between content gaps and Wikipedia’s “notability” and “neutrality” policies? When do these issues conflict? When do they complement one another? Explain.
    - How does Wikipedia compare to scholarly journals and publications?
3. Dealing with Bias
  1. #### If "anyone" can edit Wikipedia, does it matter who "does" edit Wikipedia?
    1. What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"? In your discussion be sure to address how bias and notability affect each other.
    2. What is the relationship between Wikipedia's sourcing policies and content gaps?

Create an account and join the course!

Use 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.) By the end of this week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Choose 3 Possible Topics

You can use the Wiki discussion questions to frame your entries, or reflect on the research and writing process. In the Online Classroom, this is a place for you to get ideas and feedback from peers and the instructor. It's a discussion page called WikiBlog. You may choose to begin a blog about your experiences and your topic.

Finalize your topic and find sources!

Help & Resources

Complete the Training provided from Wikipedia to become familiar with Wikipedia.

Resources

** Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6
- Citing Sources

Wikipedia Experts

Your course has been assigned a "Wikipedia Expert" that can help students. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page. They are NOT content experts, merely knowledgable about Wikipedia's editing tools and 'general' policies and this educational platform.

Week 2

Course meetings

Tuesday, 6 September 2022

In class - Editing and Writing Your Content @ Wikipedia

Tasks:

Finalize your topic and find sources
Start drafting your contributions

Milestone: Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Resources:

** Editing Wikipedia, page 6
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Week 3

Course meetings

Tuesday, 13 September 2022

Peer Reviews

Peer Review Tasks

## Peer review two (2) student articles. You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians.
1. Review the Peer Reviews. At the end of this step, every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
2. Respond to your peer review. Now it's time to consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.

Resources

** *** Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14

Week 4

Course meetings

Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Assignment - Publish Your Final Article to Wikipedia

Polish Your Work

Continue improving your article. It's the final week to develop your article. 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!

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.

Publish Your Work

Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."

Share Your Wikipedia Editing Experience

In the class, share your experience with your classmates.

## 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?
1. 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?
2. Peer Review: If your class did 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?
3. Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
4. 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?
5. Did your contribution address a major equity gap? Did your contribution improve Wikipedia's coverage of historically underrepresented or marginalized populations or topics? If so, were there any challenges unique to contributing in these subject areas?
6. Information: Did the Wikipedia assignment affect your understanding of how information is constructed and shared? How do you now understand your own role within today's information landscape?

Resources:

** Read Editing Wikipedia, page 13
- 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!