Humanities Commons Takes On (and Over) Wikipedia!: A Wiki-editing Workshop on Writing for the Common Good
About the Presenter(s)
Elizabeth Mackay, First-Year Humanities Commons Coordinator; Department of English
Patrick Thomas. Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of English
Location
Kennedy Union Room 311
Start Date
4-1-2023 1:10 PM
End Date
4-1-2023 2:00 PM
Abstract/Description
Guiding students toward “reimagining ways of preparing … for the complex world” requires us to reimagine our (often) traditional assignments and their goals and to consider the impacts of those assignments both within and outside of our classrooms. If we are to help students become leaders, we need to reflect on the ways our assignments encourage and facilitate students’ development of skills — in inquiry, research practices, and critical writing and editing — and how students put these skills to good use in public spheres and with public audiences. As faculty reimagine the assignments typically associated with university learning, they will begin to reimagine new consequences of and impacts for students’ learning, both in and outside of university classrooms.
In Spring 2023, Humanities Commons will host two Wikipedia edit-a-thons to immerse first-year students in Humanities education, its values, and practices of study. Through these edit-a-thons, students will learn to become good stewards of knowledge by writing to public audiences, contributing to public knowledge, and enhancing the quality, scope, and equity of public knowledge. And they will do so using the resources unique to university researchers. As a collective, these edit-a-thons invite faculty teaching in the Humanities Commons to teach students how to write for the common good. We invite faculty to attend our workshop, practice editing Wikipedia, and collaborate with us to discover the most appropriate content ideas for the Spring Edit-a-thons.
Goals for Attendees
Attendees will be able to: Learn about Wiki-editing, using Wikipedia’s 5 Pillars and doing some hands-on practice with editing, adding, or deleting topic content. Brainstorm with session leaders content to focus on for the Spring Wiki-edit-a-thons. Preview strategies and resources, either for redesigning assignments and/or for working with students on public research projects.
Humanities Commons Takes On (and Over) Wikipedia!: A Wiki-editing Workshop on Writing for the Common Good
Kennedy Union Room 311
Guiding students toward “reimagining ways of preparing … for the complex world” requires us to reimagine our (often) traditional assignments and their goals and to consider the impacts of those assignments both within and outside of our classrooms. If we are to help students become leaders, we need to reflect on the ways our assignments encourage and facilitate students’ development of skills — in inquiry, research practices, and critical writing and editing — and how students put these skills to good use in public spheres and with public audiences. As faculty reimagine the assignments typically associated with university learning, they will begin to reimagine new consequences of and impacts for students’ learning, both in and outside of university classrooms.
In Spring 2023, Humanities Commons will host two Wikipedia edit-a-thons to immerse first-year students in Humanities education, its values, and practices of study. Through these edit-a-thons, students will learn to become good stewards of knowledge by writing to public audiences, contributing to public knowledge, and enhancing the quality, scope, and equity of public knowledge. And they will do so using the resources unique to university researchers. As a collective, these edit-a-thons invite faculty teaching in the Humanities Commons to teach students how to write for the common good. We invite faculty to attend our workshop, practice editing Wikipedia, and collaborate with us to discover the most appropriate content ideas for the Spring Edit-a-thons.
