Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Louisiana State University/Intro to WGS (Fall 2015)

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of women’s studies, gender studies, and sexuality studies. It is designed to help students develop a critical framework for thinking about questions relating to sex, gender, and sexuality and the ways that hey are constructed and institutionalized – in our relationships, in our families (broadly defined), in our schools and workplaces, and in our culture more generally. Attention is paid to ongoing debates concerning public and private, the politics of embodiment and sexuality, equality and difference, and the intersection of gender with other axes of identity like class, sexuality, and race. This course connects theory with “real life,” and asks that student become adept at doing the same. We will work to expand your knowledge of women’s and gender studies in terms of issues of race, ethnicity, culture, and class through readings, films, and other resources.

Week 1

 * 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.

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Handout: Editing Wikipedia

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

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Handouts:, Evaluating Wikipedia


 * Create an account and then complete the online training for students. 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 on the user talk page of one of your classmates, who should also be enrolled in the table at the bottom of the 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.

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Resources: Online Training for Students

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

Week 3

 * Be prepared to discuss some of your observations about Wikipedia articles 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.

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Handouts: and


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


 * 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.

Week 5

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


 * Select an article to work on, removing the rest from your user page. Add your topic on the course page.
 * Submit a formal proposal on Moodle BEFORE the beginning of class on 9.24.15
 * 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.


 * 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.
 * 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. We will do this in class via a sign-up sheet on Thursday. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)

Week 9

 * Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.

Week 10

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

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.


 * 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

 * Students give in-class presentations about their experiences editing Wikipedia on November 17th and the 19th.


 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.

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Handout:


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

Week 14

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