Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/James Madison University/Critical Reading and Writing (Spring 2016)

Critical Reading &amp; Writing fosters reflective, critical reading, writing, and research in public discourse, culture, humanities, technology, and science. The course challenges students to consider cross-disciplinary modes of inquiry through multiple genres with an attention to enlightened, global citizenship. Instruction will emphasize revising for rhetorical effectiveness.

Objectives: After completing the course, students should be able to: - Demonstrate an awareness of rhetorical knowledge, which may include the ability to analyze and act on understandings of audiences, purposes and contexts in creating and comprehending texts. - Employ critical thinking, which includes the ability, through reading, research and writing, to analyze a situation or text and make thoughtful decisions based on that analysis. - Employ writing processes. - Demonstrate an awareness of conventions, the formal and informal guidelines that define what is considered to be correct and appropriate in a variety of texts. - Compose in multiple environments using traditional and digital technologies.

Framework: I normally teach this course as an introduction to public and scholarly argumentation. The problem with this approach is that effective public and scholarly arguments are usually written by experts, not novices. So, this semester, we’re going to become experts (to the extent we can do so in one semester) on Wikipedia.

We’ll begin by reading about Wikipedia, then analyze Wikipedia articles, and then practice writing for Wikipedia. These activities will give you plenty of practice with the course objectives stated above, including critical reading and analysis, research, drafting and revising, and using digital technologies. But this will also enable you, at the end of the course, to write an argument about some aspect of Wikipedia—not as a novice, but as a developing expert.

Week 1

 * 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.

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

Week 2

 * Basics of editing
 * Collaborating and engaging with the Wiki editing community

Handouts: , Editing Wikipedia[http://wikiedu.org/evaluatingwikipedia ]


 * Choose one article, identify ways in which you can improve and correct its language and grammar, and make the appropriate changes. (You do not need to alter the article's content.)

Week 3

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

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Handouts:

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 ]

Supplementary training: Sources and Citations


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


 * Your instructor has created a list of potential topics for your main project. Choose the one you will work on.
 * Compile a bibliography of relevant, reliable sources and post it 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 5

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

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Supplementary training: Sandboxes and Mainspace


 * If you are starting a new article, write a 3–4 paragraph summary version of your article—with citations—in your Wikipedia sandbox. If you are improving an existing article, create a detailed outline reflecting your proposed changes, and post this for community feedback, along with a brief description of your plans, on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check back on the talk page often and engage with any responses.
 * Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your short starter article and fix any major issues.
 * Continue research in preparation for expanding your article.

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.

All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.

Week 7

 * 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:


 * 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 8

 * 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.)

Week 9

 * Expand your article into a complete first draft.

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.

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Supplementary training: Peer Review


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

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.


 * 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 12

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


 * 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.


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

Week 13

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


 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.

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Handout:


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


 * Put together a Wikipedia portfolio.


 * Write a paper going beyond your Wikipedia article to advance your own ideas, arguments, and original research about your topic.

Week 14
Students have finished all their work on Wikipedia that will be considered for grading.