Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/The College of Wooster/FYS Encounters and Identities in Latin America (Fall 2017)
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- Course name
- FYS Encounters and Identities in Latin America
- Institution
- The College of Wooster
- Instructor
- Katie Holt
- Wikipedia Expert
- Shalor (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- First Year Seminar
- Course dates
- 2017-08-23 00:00:00 UTC – 2017-12-08 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 15
How did Latin America develop its incredibly diverse range of peoples and cultures? In this seminar, we’ll look at the interactions between New World, European, and African peoples, examining cultural exchanges and the formation of new, hybrid identities. We’ll start with Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca’s account of his years wandering the Southwest, and move from there to analyzing more recent examples of cultural production and exchanges, from the creation of Afro-Cuban jazz, the rise of the Dominican Republic as a baseball powerhouse, the sway of Brazil’s soap operas, and the global popularity of tacos.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
-
- Friday, 1 September 2017
- In class - Introduction to our FYS Wikipedia project
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for FYS Encounters & Identities in Latin America. This schedule is *not* a replacement for our class syllabus, but to provide you more detailed structure for the Wikipedia assignments.
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 Prof Holt will send you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take; you can complete them any time before class on Friday, September 1. 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
-
- Monday, 4 September 2017 | Wednesday, 6 September 2017 | Friday, 8 September 2017
- Assignment - Training "Evaluating Articles & Sources"
Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below) by Monday, September 4.
- Assignment - Blog Post
- Critiquing Wikipedia Entries
Pick one of these articles related to our reading A Land So Strange to evaluate: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Narváez Expedition, or Estevanico.
As you read, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- 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?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
- How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
- How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
- 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"?
- Assignment - Critique an Article Using the Talk Page
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. For this assignment, you'll evaluate a Wikipedia article related to our course themes, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- For Monday's class, you wrote a blog post critiquing your choice of Wikipedia articles
- In class last Wednesday, we learned how to use library reference materials like Credo, and critique their coverage of historical events.
- Drawing on your skills evaluating Wikipedia articles, pick an article of interest to you (related to our course themes, of course.) Click to the talk page, and write two comments/suggestions to improve your chosen article. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Shadooper (talk) 20:27, 14 November 2017 (UTC).
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 11 September 2017 | Wednesday, 13 September 2017 | Friday, 15 September 2017
- In class - This week, we'll focus on your primary source essay.
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 18 September 2017 | Wednesday, 20 September 2017 | Friday, 22 September 2017
- 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 - Add to an article
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a citation to an article. There are two ways you can do this:
- Add 1-2 sentences to a course-related article, and cite that statement to a reliable source, as you learned in the online training.
- The Citation Hunt tool shows unreferenced statements from articles. 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
-
- Monday, 25 September 2017 | Wednesday, 27 September 2017 | Friday, 29 September 2017
- In class - Discussion
- Thinking about Wikipedia
- 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 - Blog Post
- 2 Wikipedia Improvement Ideas
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- By 8pm on Sunday, September 24, write a blog post proposing 2-3 potential articles that you can tackle for your Wikipedia Article assignment. What content gaps do you see? What reputable sources exist to back up your added content? For each of your proposed articles, check the Talk page to see what other Wikipedians might be doing.
- Comment on at least three classmates' article ideas. Which proposals have the most potential to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Latin American and Latin
history? Which have the best combination of content gaps and reliable sources?
- In class - Research Skils
- Library Databases
We'll learn to use specialized research databases to find high-quality, peer reviewed sources.
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 2 October 2017 | Wednesday, 4 October 2017 | Friday, 6 October 2017
- Assignment - Choose your topic
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.
- Using the article's talk page, 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.
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 16 October 2017 | Wednesday, 18 October 2017 | Friday, 20 October 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 8
- Assignment - Finding Sources
Using your library research skills, compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources that will help you improve your chosen article. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 23 October 2017 | Wednesday, 25 October 2017 | Friday, 27 October 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 9
- Assignment - Plan your article improvements
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make detailed notes for improvement in the Article's Talk Page.
Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
- Assignment - Peer Review
- Article Improvement Ideas
I'll assign you two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you're assigned to review.
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Your classmates have posted their ideas for improving an article on the relevant Talk Page. Peer review your classmates' proposed improvements. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article that your fellow student is working on. Does the author address significant content gaps? Follow Wikipedia's guidelines for tone, neutrality, and use of evidence? What ideas do you have for additional coverage?
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
- Milestones
Everyone has begun planning their article drafts.
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 30 October 2017 | Wednesday, 1 November 2017 | Friday, 3 November 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 10
- Assignment - Blog Post
- 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. What did your readers suggest? Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.
- Assignment - Post a full draft of your changes 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."
Some guidelines:
- 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!
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 6 November 2017 | Wednesday, 8 November 2017 | Friday, 10 November 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 11
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article.
- 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 - Sign up for Peer Review
- Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review. Then in the "My Articles" section of the Home tab, assign them to yourself to review. If two FYS Students are already signed up for an individual article, pick something else!
- Milestones
(not including Holt or Asha)
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 13 November 2017 | Wednesday, 15 November 2017 | Friday, 17 November 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 12
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on 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?
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 20 November 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 13
- 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!
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 27 November 2017 | Wednesday, 29 November 2017
- In class - Our Syllabus
- Week 14
- Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
Post your slide to our shared Google slideshow before class on Wednesday, 29 November.
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Write a reflective essay (500-750 words) on your Wikipedia contributions and upload it to Moodle.
Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:
- Why did you select this article to improve? What is the larger cultural significance of this entry, and how does your work make it better?
- What state was it in before your intervention? Why?
- How did you improve this entry? Why did you choose to intervene in these ways?
- What did you learn about evaluating sources of information? How does your work show your skills completing college-level research?
- How did you shape your edits to meet the Wikipedia community guidelines (5 Pillars)
- How did your peer review of other students' articles improve their work?
- How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.