Classroom Wikipedia Participation Effects on Future

Intentions to Contribute

Cliff Lampe, Jonathan Obar, Elif Ozkaya, Paul Zube, Alcides Velasquez

Wikipedia growth is slowing/declining.

The Problem

Wikipedia participation is unequal.

Stolen from Suh, Convertino, Chi and Pirolli 2009 Wikisym paper

The “easy” topics are covered

Theories for decline

Other cool sites have appeared, interface

Wikipedians bite newbies

Lack of editor diversity

Direct people’s attention

Possible solutions

Create new interfaces for editing

Introduce new audiences

http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_Policy_Initiative_Learning_Points

12 classes in 9 U.S. Universities~ 600 students, mostly grad

How does WPPI participation affect

student perceptions of participating on

Facebook?

185 survey respondentsMixed closed and open Qs

DV = likelihood to participate in the future

Results

Age increased likelihood; ESL decreased; no gender effect

Impression of assignment and class mattered

Social media use and global awareness mattered

72% would NOT have preferred trad. assign.

Results

Global awareness strongly mattered for people who preferred this assignment

Some discomfort with the idea of future edits

25/615 edited Wikipedia after the class had ended

Assignment effects on future use

Conclusions

Class size, level may matter

Need to account for student demos

WPPI and similar moving forward

Cliff Lampe University of Michigan

Jonathan Obar Michigan State University

Elif Ozkaya Michigan State University

Paul Zube Michigan State University

Alcides Velasquez Michigan State University

NSF – 0812429

Slideshare: clifflampe