Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Brown University/Asian Americans and Third World Solidarity (Fall)

As historian Vijay Prashad puts it, “The Third World was not a place. It was a project.” During the 20th century struggles against colonialism, the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America believed that another world was possible. Here, too, in the United States, minorities and their allies dreamed of dignity, democracy, and justice. Looking through the experiences of Asian Americans, this course examines the domestic freedom movements in the context of global decolonization. Topics include: campus activism, immigration, capitalist labor regimes, neocolonalism, cultural hegemony, and Afro-Asian connections.

Week 1
Be sure to do the assignments before coming to class. So, for example, complete all the assignments listed in Week 2 before coming to class on Week 2.


 * Overview of the course
 * Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course; understanding Wikipedia as a community, we'll discuss its expectations and etiquette.

Handout: Editing WikipediaKeep this handy easily accessible for reference throughout the semester

Week 2

 * Basics of editing
 * Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish between good and bad articles
 * Collaborating and engaging with the Wiki editing community
 * Tips on finding the best articles to work on for class assignments
 * Introduction to Zotero bibliographic manager.

Handouts:, Evaluating Wikipedia


 * Create an account and join this course page.
 * Complete the introductory training modules. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.
 * Create a User page.
 * To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to another student on their user talk page.
 * Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.

All students have Wikipedia user accounts and are listed on the course page.

Week 3
Go to Zotero.org and create an account. Zotero is a free, bibliographic database program.


 * Be prepared to discuss some of your observations about Wikipedia articles in your topic area that are missing or could use improvement.

Handouts: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Choosing_an_article.pdf Choosing an article ]


 * Research and list 3–5 articles on your Wikipedia user page that you will consider working on as your main project. Look at the talk page for existing topics for a sense of who else is working on it and what they're doing. Describe your choices to your instructor for feedback.
 * Start building your working bibliographies in your Zotero account

Week 4

 * Be prepared to explain close paraphrasing, plagiarism, and copyright violations on Wikipedia.

Handouts: and [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avoiding_plagiarism.pdf Avoiding Plagiarism ]


 * Add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to a Wikipedia article related to the class.

Week 6

 * Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
 * Q&amp;A session with instructor about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.


 * Discuss the topics students will be working on, and determine strategies for researching and writing about them.


 * Finalize your topic selection and assign it to yourself on the course page.
 * Create a one-paragraph to one-page description of what you plan to contribute to the topic. You may wish to post that to the article's talk page.
 * Post working bibliography of your chosen topic from Zotero and post to the talk page of the article you are working on.
 * Begin reading the sources. Make sure to check in on the talk page (or watchlist) to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.

Week 7

 * If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use &quot;summary style&quot;, in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
 * Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
 * Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.

Week 8

 * We'll discuss moving your article out of your sandboxes and into Wikipedia's main space.
 * A general reminder: Don't panic if your contribution disappears, and don't try to force it back in.
 * Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
 * Contact your instructor or Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.

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Handout:

Supplementary training: Sandboxes and Mainspace


 * Move your sandbox articles into main space.
 * If you are expanding an existing article, copy your edit into the article. If you are making many small edits, save after each edit before you make the next one. Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article.
 * If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow the instructions in the &quot;Moving out of your sandbox&quot; handout.
 * Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.

Week 9

 * Demo uploading images and adding images to articles.
 * Share experiences and discuss problems.

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Resources: Illustrating Wikipedia and Evaluating Wikipedia


 * Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the table at the bottom of this course page, add your username next to the articles you will peer review. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)

All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.

Week 10

 * As a group, offer suggestions for improving one or two other students' articles, based on your ideas of what makes a solid encyclopedia article.



Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 11

 * Open discussion of the concepts of neutrality, media literacy, and the impact and limits of Wikipedia.


 * Expand your article into a complete first draft.

Week 12

 * Continue discussing how the articles can be further improved. Come up with improvement goals for each article for next week.


 * Peer review two of your classmates’ articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
 * Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.


 * Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback. If you disagree with a suggestion, use talk pages to politely discuss and come to a consensus on your edit.

Week 13

 * Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.


 * Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.


 * Return to your classmates' articles you previously reviewed, and provide more suggestions for further improvement. If there is a disagreement, suggest a compromise.
 * Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on your classmates' suggestions and any additional areas for improvement you can identify.

Week 14

 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.

Handout: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polishing_your_articles.pdf Polishing your article ]


 * Put together a Wikipedia portfolio.


 * Write a reflective essay (2–5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.

Students have finished all their work on Wikipedia that will be considered for grading.