Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Boston University/Public Writing Across Genres (Spring 2021)

In this class, you will learn about the growing call for scholars to communicate their research to the public and, through course readings and regular short writing exercises, study and practice the genres that academic researchers and other serious thinkers use to shape public discourse. You will also have the opportunity to explore the immediate relevance of an academic research project you are passionate about and “translate” it to reach a public audience. You will read and write in several public genres, including contributing to a Wikipedia article.

Week 1
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)

Week 2
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6

Week 3
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.

Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resources:


 * Editing Wikipedia
 * Evaluating Wikipedia

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 4
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Week 5
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the &quot;mainspace.&quot;

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13

Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

Week 6
It's the final week to develop your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
 * Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.