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Complete the introductory training modules. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.
Create a User page.
To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to another student on their user talk page.
Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.
Milestones
All students have Wikipedia user accounts and are listed on the course page.
Week 3
Course meetings
Tuesday, 2 February 2016 | Thursday, 4 February 2016
In class - Exploring the topic area
Be prepared to discuss some of your observations about Wikipedia articles in your topic area that are missing or could use improvement.
Supplementary training: [[../../../training/students/sources|Sources and Citations]]
Assignment - Add to an article
Add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to a Wikipedia article related to the class.
Assignment - Choosing your article
Your instructor has created a list of potential topics for your main project. Choose the one you will work on.
Begin to compile a bibliography of relevant, reliable sources and post it to the talk page of the article you are working on. Begin reading the sources. Make sure to check in on the talk page (or watchlist) to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
Week 5
Course meetings
Tuesday, 16 February 2016 | Thursday, 18 February 2016
Week 6
Course meetings
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 | Thursday, 25 February 2016
Assignment - Drafting starter articles
If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use "summary style", in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.
Milestones
All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia. As a first step and to improve your Wikipedia editing skills, imbed your topic area or subject into related Wikipedia pages
Week 7
Course meetings
Tuesday, 1 March 2016 | Thursday, 3 March 2016
In class - Building articles
Demo uploading images and adding images to articles.
Students will submit an annotated bibliography that includes at least 10 verifiable sources related to their topic.
These can include journal articles, book chapters, newspaper accounts, and documentaries.
Each entry in the Annotated Bibliography should include a description of the entry (4-5 sentences) that summarizes the most significant aspects of the article that relate to your Wikipedia entry.
The assignment will be graded based on the range and quality of the sources cited, the accuracy and insight demonstrated by the annotations, and the creativity and resourcefulness used to track down pertinent citations.
Late assignments will be graded down a full letter grade if handed in within the week.
Week 8
Course meetings
Tuesday, 8 March 2016 | Thursday, 10 March 2016
In class - Moving articles to mainspace
We'll discuss moving your article out of your sandboxes and into Wikipedia's main space.
A general reminder: Don't panic if your contribution disappears, and don't try to force it back in.
Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
Contact your instructor or Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.
Handout:
Moving out of your Sandbox Supplementary training: [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace ]]
Assignment - Complete first draft
Using your annotated bibliography as the basis for your entry, expand your article into a complete first draft.
Assignment - Moving articles to mainspace
Move your sandbox articles into main space.
If you are expanding an existing article, copy your edit into the article. If you are making many small edits, save after each edit before you make the next one. Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article.
If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow the instructions in the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.
Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Week 9
Course meetings
Tuesday, 15 March 2016 | Thursday, 17 March 2016
In class - Prepare for in-class presentation - in class discussion to answer final questions on Tuesday
Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.
Week 10
Course meetings
Tuesday, 29 March 2016 | Thursday, 31 March 2016
Assignment - Illustrate an article
EXTRA CREDIT: For up to 5 additional extra credit points, student can identify articles that would benefit from illustration, and create or find an appropriate "free license" photo, illustration, or audio/video, and add it to the article.
All media uploaded to Wikipedia must fall under a "free license," which means they can be used or shared by anyone. Examples of media you can use are photos that you take yourself, images and text in the public domain, and works created by someone else who has given permission for their work to be used by others. For more information about which types of media can be uploaded to Wikipedia, see
Commons:Help desk.
To add a media file to an article, you must first upload it to Wikimedia Commons. For instructions on how to upload files to Commons, refer to
Illustrating Wikipedia. This brochure will also provide you with detailed information about which files are acceptable to upload to Wikipedia and the value of contributing media to Wikipedia articles.
In class - Discuss further article improvements
Continue discussing how the articles can be further improved. Come up with improvement goals for each article for next week.
Assignment - Continue improving articles
Return to your classmates' articles you previously reviewed, and provide more suggestions for further improvement. If there is a disagreement, suggest a compromise.
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on your classmates' suggestions and any additional areas for improvement you can identify.
Week 11
Course meetings
Tuesday, 5 April 2016 | Thursday, 7 April 2016
In class - In-Class Presentations
Students will present their work in progress describing both the content area they are writing about and their experience as Wiki Contributors.
Week 12
Course meetings
Tuesday, 12 April 2016 | Thursday, 14 April 2016
In class - In-class presentation
Students will present their work in progress describing both the content area they are writing about and their experience as Wiki Contributors.
Students have finished all their work on Wikipedia that will be considered for grading.
In class - In-class presentation
Students will present their work in progress describing both the content area they are writing about and their experience as Wiki Contributors.
Assignment - Class Participation
A semester long grade for your class participation and course engagement.
Assignment - Pop Quizzes
Throughout the class, we will have random pop quizzes to make sure you are keeping up with the assigned reading. There will be 5 pop quizzes over the course of the semester, the top 4 scores will be used. No make-up quizzes will be allowed under any circumstance.