Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Georgia/MIBO 3500 Introduction to Microbiology (Fall 2023)

Most instructors encourage students to avoid Wikipedia but if we are honest, this is usually the first resource or first hit on a Google search. The educational arm of Wikipedia is seeking students at higher education to provide robust and research-backed information on pages available to the public. Since this introductory microbiology course includes basic material on bacterial and viral traits and characteristics, including morphology, physiology, genetic diversity, and bacterial metabolism, such information can be added to many microbial-focused Wikipedia pages. The Wikipedia project involves student groups identifying a microbe-associated Wikipedia article that is in need of updates or additional information, researching applicable peer-reviewed resources, and adding/editing clear and concise information. Several assignments will be due over the length of the semester to help groups finish their project in a timely manner. How-to videos and articles provided by Wikipedia will give guidelines, while real editors from Wikipedia provide feedback and editing of student group pages. Weekly in-class updates will be shared among student groups to promote timely submissions.