Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Howard Community College/General Biology II (Fall, 2016)
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- Course name
- General Biology II
- Institution
- Howard Community College
- Instructor
- Robin Vaughn Hirshorn
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Evolution and Ecology
- Course dates
- 2016-08-27 00:00:00 UTC – 2016-12-19 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 15
This course will introduce students already familiar with the basics of cellular and molecular biology to a broader application of those disciplines. The course will first expand on their understanding of genetics by demonstrating how an accumulation of small changes in the way genes are coded can lead to allelic shifts in populations (microevolution), which can contribute to populations diverging into distinct species (macroevolution). The class will follow the dynamics within populations and how they interact to form communities. The selective pressures exerted on individuals, populations, and communities will be at the forefront of the discussion of ecology. Throughout the course, important biological innovations and adaptations will be a major focal point as the history of life is used as a backdrop.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 13 September 2016
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.
This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.
Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.
To get started, please review the following handouts:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 20 September 2016
- In class - Discussion
- What's a content gap?
Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.
- Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
- What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
- Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
- What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?
Week 3
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 27 September 2016
- Assignment - Critique an article
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- Read this article, for a general introduction to conservation biology.
- Critique the section of this article that you were assigned in class. There will be two people critiquing most sections of the article. Work to ensure that your critiques complement each other, rather than being redundant. Additionally, use this as an opportunity to compare your critique with that of another student, and thus to build these critical thinking skills. Consider these questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
- Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Choose at least 2 questions relevant to the article you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Rhirshorn (talk) 01:50, 30 November 2016 (UTC).
Week 4
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 4 October 2016
- Assignment - Add to an article
Add a small contribution to the article section that you critiqued in the previous assignment, or add a citation to a claim that doesn't have one.
- Complete the "Sources and Citations" training (linked below).
- When you make a small claim, clearly state the fact in your own words, and then cite the source where you found the information.
- The Citation Hunt tool can show you some statements that don't have citations. You can use that to find an article to reference.
- First, evaluate whether the statement in question is true! An uncited statement could just be lacking a reference or it could be inaccurate or misleading. Reliable sources on the subject will help you choose whether to add it or correct the statement.
Week 5
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 11 October 2016
- In class - Discussion
- Thinking about sources and plagiarism
- Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
- What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
- What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
- What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
- Assignment - Choose your topic / Find your sources
It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself.
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- Find an article from the list of "Available Articles" on the Articles tab on this course page. When you find the one you want to work on, click Select to assign it to yourself.
- In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
- Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
- Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
Week 6
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 18 October 2016
- Assignment - Draft your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing. Your writing will go in your sandbox.
- Write a complete first draft. It should be 2 full paragraphs in length. How long is a full paragraph? If you copy and paste the material you plan to add to the Wikipedia article into a Word document, with 1 1/2 line spacing, 1-inch margins, and 11 point font, your writing should be at least 1 page long.
- Include at least 3 reliable references in your draft; at least one reference must be a journal article. Cite these references in the body of your article as well.
Creating a new article?
- Start by writing an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox. Then, fill in your outline as you write your article.
- A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.
Improving an existing article?
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Then, write the two paragraphs you will add to this article; place your work in your sandbox.
- Be sure to describe where you plan to add your work into the Wikipedia article.
Resources:Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 25 October 2016
- In class - Discussion
- Thinking about Wikipiedia
- What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
- What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
- On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
- If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?
- Assignment - Improve your draft
- Keep working on improving your article draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 1 November 2016
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column. Up to 3 people may review an article, provided that every other article has been reviewed twice.
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
Week 9
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 8 November 2016
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!
- Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
- Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions. State how you will address each of your peer feedback comments on the Talk page of your article, or in your sandbox.
Week 10
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 15 November 2016
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique. Keep in mind that the final amount of work that you add to an article needs to be about two paragaphs of well-referenced and content-rich information.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
- Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
- Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience, and what you learned about your topic.
Week 11
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 22 November 2016
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace." ** Do NOT move your work to Wikipedia until your instructor approves it.
Editing an existing article?
- NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
- Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
Creating a new article?
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
- Assignment - In-class presentation
- Present about your Wikipedia editing experience in class. Your presentation will be about 5 minutes long, and you will briefly discuss the main things that you learned about your conservation biology topic, as well as the main things you learned about the process of editing Wikipedia.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 29 November 2016
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article. The final amount of work that you add to an article needs to be about two paragraphs of well-referenced and content-rich information. Additionally, you need to cite a minimum of 3 sources; at least one source must be a published journal or magazine article that you find through a library database.
- 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 Content Expert at any time!
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.