Wikipedia:Education Program/Structure proposals/Polacek Proposal

Kelly Myer Polacek, MS, MLS, Assistant Professor, Montana State University Library Kmpolacek (talk)
 * Please list your name and/or Wikipedia username.

Several proposals recommend future WEP leadership involve a team of diverse individuals from academia, Wikipedia, Wikimedia, among others, which I support. This proposal focuses on the endeavors undertaken by a few members of the eventual WEP leadership. I do not suggest that WEP leadership be limited to the descriptions below.
 * What idea(s) do you have for what the new structure for the U.S. and Canada Wikipedia Education Programs could look like?

There is decent literature surveying faculty and student opinions of Wikipedia, as well as literature on how and when faculty and students use Wikipedia. It would seem the diverse and extensive efforts of WCAs across the US and Canada offer multiple opportunities to contribute to the academic literature that describes the pedagogical strategies, instructional implications, and assessment of these efforts To recruit more participation from academe, we must increase our own participation in the academic literature, including rigorous qualitative and quantitative assessment of our efforts. To that end, I propose that future WEP leadership include:
 * Pedagogical assessment expert
 * Provides instructional design and guidance for WCAs via Wiki publications, online tutorials and seminars
 * Coordinates assessment projects across institutions
 * Supervises or coauthors publications for academic journals
 * Aim for 3-5 WCA-based publications per year beginning 2014
 * Academic representative from STEM/Health to provide content-specific expertise on using Wikipedia within STEM/Health
 * Academic representative from Humanities to provide content-specific expertise on using Wikipedia within Humanities
 * Grant and finance expert to ensure the regular acquisition and award of funds from scholarly, government, educational, and international agencies; Working Group should estimate annual costs based on program structure
 * Outreach - a specialist in public relations (this might be Wikimedia itself)

Proposal focuses specifically on the roles of a few individuals. Hopefully, the Working Group can design a diverse, comprehensive leadership team.
 * How would you ensure this new structure involves all key stakeholders, including academics and the Wikipedia community?

It might be difficult to locate or recruit experts with described skills. Coordinating multi-campus research endeavors is challenging and requires a leader who can anticipate and address potential problems faced at each institution. Money may not always be easily acquired.
 * What are potential pitfalls of this approach?


 * Any other comments about your proposal?

It would be extraordinarily advantageous for Wikimedia to add WCA and Administrator Mike Cline to this Working Group; his expertise with the Prometheus Process will ensure the success of this Working Group as it develops shared goals and designs a WEP structure to strategically meet these goals.