wikipedia: a tool for teaching (skeptical) research

16
Wikipedia A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research Presented by: Loren Kleinman, Director, Writing Center, Passaic County Community College Ken Karol, Technology Resource Specialist, Passaic County Community College Elizabeth Nesius, Director, Academic Foundations English, Hudson County Community College

Upload: elizabeth-nesius

Post on 12-May-2015

229 views

Category:

Education


2 download

DESCRIPTION

Wikipedia is one form of social media, and often at the bull’s eye of “new media myopia” (Obar, 2012). When asked to do research, Wikipedia is usually the first place students look. While we might want to teach students that Wikipedia is one place to start, it usually is not the one place where we want them to end. Therefore, incorporating Wikipedia into classroom instruction is a powerful way to teach students how to analyze the sources they use. This presentation will introduce educators to possible ways Wikipedia can be utilized in the classroom as a teaching and learning tool.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Wikipedia

A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Presented by:

Loren Kleinman, Director, Writing Center, Passaic County Community College

Ken Karol, Technology Resource Specialist, Passaic County Community College

Elizabeth Nesius, Director, Academic Foundations English, Hudson County Community College

Page 2: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Wikis & Wikipedia

Wiki – collaborative Web site edited by the user community

Theoretically, always a work in progress, never perfected

Wikipedia – free, multilingual online wiki/encyclopedia (hence “Wikipedia”)– Over 4 million articles– Nearly half a billion unique visitors per month– Essentially, the default encyclopedia of our

time

Page 3: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

What we hear from faculty “I don’t allow my students to use

Wikipedia.” “Wikipedia is not a valid source for

research.” “Wikipedia is not accurate and the

entries are not complete.” “Wikipedia is the source for

misinformation.”

Page 4: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Myths & Fears about Wikipedia

Full of inaccuracies – Anyone with Internet access can edit – Articles are constantly being changed

Loss of control – Academics and librarians no longer

gatekeepers– Not vetted by “professionals”

Too easy

Page 5: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Realities about Wikipedia Wikipedia is the largest collaborative

writing project in human history Well-Monitored

– Inaccurate information will not last long; repeat offenders’ accounts disabled

– Insignificant information (e.g. vanity entries) will not be published

Information must be verifiable to stay While it is easy to access (in multiple

senses), readers are directed to more sources for deeper information

Page 6: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research
Page 7: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Embracing Wikipedia

Generally well-cited– Leads to other sources of information– Citations for information offered or requested if

unavailable Neutral voice

– Having multiple contributors leads to a consensus Provides good topical overviews

– Better than most free Web sites It’s timely

– Updated more often than traditionally published encyclopedias

– Updated more often than most other websites

Page 8: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Title V Writing Initiative at PCCC (2007-2012)

40 sections of Writing Intensive general education courses (Composition 1 prerequisite)

Portfolio assessment of writing, critical thinking, and information literacy– Info lit assessment had already been conducted for 10 years in

PCCC’s first-year experience course Information literacy weak spots: citation and evaluation of

sources Problem not that students were using Wikipedia but rather

they weren’t citing it and weren’t exploring other sources Students were using it even if they were told not to (and

then simply didn’t cite it) However, instructors often did not suggest alternative

outside sources of information

Page 9: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Incorporating Wikipedia into the First-year Experience

Every section of the First-Year Experience has an Information Literacy module

Librarians present during one class period Students complete an Exercise for homework and a

Project that is 25% of their final grade for the course

Inspired by findings in WI course assessment, Wikipedia incorporated into Exercise and Project– Students find Wikipedia entry on their selected research

topic– Students cite the Wikipedia entry in MLA format– Students explore one of the citations included in the

original entry

Page 10: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Composition, WAC & Wikipedia

Don’t have to use Wikipedia as a reference source; use it to bring authentic, immediate audience for student writing (Cummings).

Wikipedia assignments offer the chance to consider student writers' responsibilities in topic selection (Cummings)

Use it as a teaching tool as part of the Bookshelf Project. Creating knowledge rather than consuming it Use as an opportunity to teach critical thinking. Teach the importance of credibility and clarity in writing.

Page 11: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Case Study

Robert Cummings, author of Lazy Virtues: Teaching Writing in the Age of Wikipedia and an assistant professor of English and director of First-Year Composition Program at Columbus State University, in Georgia.

Robert Cummings says, “As a class we then observe how Wikipedians react to our contributions and get advice from each other to develop effective rhetorical strategies before we respond to our audience online. Lastly, students are asked to compose an essay where they reflect on the experience of writing for this large audience, and how the experience fails or succeeds in helping them to develop their writing skills. Their grade is determined mainly by their participation in these offline writing assignments, and not the text contributed to Wikipedia itself.”

Page 12: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Using Wikipedia in Class Make sure your students understand

how it works Demonstrate (or have them try)

changing an article—can you get through a lecture without the changes being reversed?

WID– Form carries out purpose: Articles on

different topics look different– Gives context to the rules of discipline-

specific writing

Page 13: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Collaborative Learning

Wikipedia can support collaborative learning for students and faculty:Students Faculty

Support peer-to-peer interaction in virtual spaces

Engage in the student writing process on a deeper level

Distribute and share knowledge Connect student learning with what they will most likely be

doing after graduation

Students as writers, editors, and contributors rather than

readers/consumers

Promote and foster instructional change

Page 14: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

What We’ve Learned

Wikipedia sparks conversation! Students are going to use it no

matter what, and it’s our job to make sure they use it well.

Page 15: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Questions / Comments

Has your perception of Wikipedia changed?

Would you continue this conversation with colleagues at your college or university?

Would you be willing to integrate Wikipedia into your research or writing lesson planning?

Page 16: Wikipedia: A Tool for Teaching (Skeptical) Research

Works Cited

Cummings, Robert. “Are We Ready to Use Wikipedia to Teach Writing?” Inside Higher Ed. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

Patch, Paula. “Meeting Student Writers Where They Are: Using Wikipedia to Teach Responsible Scholarship.” Teaching English in the Two-Year College, v37 n3 p278-285 Mar 2010. National Council of Teachers of English. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.