Wikipedia:WikiProject United States Public Policy/Update/18 January 2011

Next term getting started
Students in 27 classes will be writing Wikipedia articles as part of their classes this spring as the next batch of courses for the Public Policy Initiative kicks off, and we anticipate several more courses joining the roster in the coming weeks. Instructors have started laying out their plans for the semester on each of their course pages on WikiProject United States Public Policy; check out the full roster of courses for more information.

Watchlist screencast now available
Wikipedians use the Watchlist feature to track all the recent changes to articles they are interested in or have contributed to. This valuable tool helps you see in a glance whether an article has changed since your last visit. A new screencast shows new users how to use their Watchlists to maximum effect, including some changes to the default settings that best aid new users.

Public Policy Initiative mentioned in 10-year articles
Hundreds of media outlets around the world have been covering Wikipedia's 10th anniversary in the lead-up to the January 15 birthday. Several of these articles mention the work the Wikimedia Foundation is doing to promote Wikipedia as a teaching tool in higher education through the Public Policy Initiative. Check out a sample of media coverage on the 10th anniversary wiki.

Thanks to our Fall 2010 participants!
A huge round of thanks to our first participants in the Public Policy Initiative -- the 12 professors, 27 Online Ambassadors, and 12 Campus Ambassadors who helped make the fall term a success. We really appreciate the open-mindedness and enthusiasm as we experiment to determine how best to use Wikipedia in university classrooms. Many thanks to everyone listed here.