Wikipedia Writing Assignments

***Apologies for Receipt of Duplicate Postings***
Friends/

In a recent posting to ILI-L by Kim Duckett, Librarian for
Digital Technologies and Learning, at NC State University
Library,  I was reminded about the Wikipedia: School and
University Projects article in Wikipedia.

The article provides a listing with links of past, present,
and planned projects using Wikipedia as the basis/foundation
of numerous  (writing) assignments.

I have linked to these respective listings and provide
details on various **Suggested Exercises** at 

[ http://scholarship20.blogspot.com/2008/03/wikipe
dia-writing.html ]

The Graphic This Time Is A Classic Internet Cartoon ... [Arf
...]

As Previously Noted, I Would Be Most Grateful To Learn Of
ANY/ALL Other ***Uses of Wikis for Innovative Composition/
Writing*** As Described  in The Associated PPT Noted in My
Earlier Blog Posting 

[ http://scholarship20.blogspot.c
om/2008/03/using-wikipedia-to-reenvision-term.html ]

>>I am Particularly Interested In Innovative
**SCHOLARLY** Composition/Writing in The Sci/Tech
Fields<<

Thanks for Your Assistance!

/Gerry

Gerry McKiernan
Associate Professor
Science and Technology Librarian
Iowa State University Library
Ames IA 50011

gerrymckiastate.edu 

There is Nothing More Powerful Than  An Idea Whose Time Has
Come
Victor Hugo
[ h
ttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ]

Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind
Blows 
[ http://al
ternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]




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Writing collaboratively with wikis is a powerful tool, and
there is at
least some literature on using wikis in an educational
setting; I'd
look into the WikiSym conference proceedings as a start.
Contributing
to Wikipedia specifically, however, is a separate issue. It
is
somewhat irresponsible to simply drop students into the
project and
tell them to start writing, as the pages on assignments at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Scho
ol_and_university_projects
and elsewhere should make clear.

Anyone -- student or not -- writing for Wikipedia needs to
understand
that there are clear rules and expectations for encyclopedia
writing
on the site. Facts must be referenced and sources given; the
core
content policies of Neutral Point of View, Verifiability and
No
Original Research must be followed; and the social policies
of working
with others civilly to achieve consensus need to be
respected.
Encyclopedic, summary style should be followed: typical term
papers
that make an argument regarding a set of conclusions are
not
acceptable and should not be dropped into the site
wholesale. Without
bearing all these guidelines in mind, contributions will
likely be
deleted or reverted by other editors, which can be a
demoralizing
experience for all concerned.

That's not to say that writing for and working on Wikipedia
can't be a
great assignment, but teachers and professors should
understand that
they are asking students to participate in an active,
working project
with particular cultural and content norms. Wikipedia is
certainly the
encyclopedia that everyone can edit, but to edit it *well*
you need to
at least somewhat understand the site before you begin.

-- Phoebe Ayers
(librarian and author of the forthcoming "How Wikipedia
Works")

On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 2:55 PM, Gerry Mckiernan
<gerrymckiastate.edu> wrote:
> ***Apologies for Receipt of Duplicate Postings***
>  Friends/
>
>  In a recent posting to ILI-L by Kim Duckett, Librarian
for Digital Technologies and Learning, at NC State
University Library,  I was reminded about the Wikipedia:
School and University Projects article in Wikipedia.
>
>  The article provides a listing with links of past,
present, and planned projects using Wikipedia as the
basis/foundation of numerous  (writing) assignments.
>
>  I have linked to these respective listings and provide
details on various **Suggested Exercises** at
>
>  [ http://scholarship20.blogspot.com/2008/03/wikipe
dia-writing.html ]
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Writing collaboratively with wikis is a powerful tool, and
there is at
least some literature on using wikis in an educational
setting; I'd
look into the WikiSym conference proceedings as a start.
Contributing
to Wikipedia specifically, however, is a separate issue. It
is
somewhat irresponsible to simply drop students into the
project and
tell them to start writing, as the pages on assignments at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Scho
ol_and_university_projects
and elsewhere should make clear.

Anyone -- student or not -- writing for Wikipedia needs to
understand
that there are clear rules and expectations for encyclopedia
writing
on the site. Facts must be referenced and sources given; the
core
content policies of Neutral Point of View, Verifiability and
No
Original Research must be followed; and the social policies
of working
with others civilly to achieve consensus need to be
respected.
Encyclopedic, summary style should be followed: typical term
papers
that make an argument regarding a set of conclusions are
not
acceptable and should not be dropped into the site
wholesale. Without
bearing all these guidelines in mind, contributions will
likely be
deleted or reverted by other editors, which can be a
demoralizing
experience for all concerned.

That's not to say that writing for and working on Wikipedia
can't be a
great assignment, but teachers and professors should
understand that
they are asking students to participate in an active,
working project
with particular cultural and content norms. Wikipedia is
certainly the
encyclopedia that everyone can edit, but to edit it *well*
you need to
at least somewhat understand the site before you begin.

-- Phoebe Ayers
(librarian and author of the forthcoming "How Wikipedia
Works")

On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 2:55 PM, Gerry Mckiernan
<gerrymckiastate.edu> wrote:
> ***Apologies for Receipt of Duplicate Postings***
>  Friends/
>
>  In a recent posting to ILI-L by Kim Duckett, Librarian
for Digital Technologies and Learning, at NC State
University Library,  I was reminded about the Wikipedia:
School and University Projects article in Wikipedia.
>
>  The article provides a listing with links of past,
present, and planned projects using Wikipedia as the
basis/foundation of numerous  (writing) assignments.
>
>  I have linked to these respective listings and provide
details on various **Suggested Exercises** at
>
>  [ http://scholarship20.blogspot.com/2008/03/wikipe
dia-writing.html ]
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Web4libwebjunction.org
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