Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Albright College/Psy406: Senior Seminar in Psychology (Fall 2013)/Timeline

Week 1: Wikipedia essentials
T 8/27
 * In class
 * Overview of the course
 * Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course
 * Handout: Welcome to Wikipedia (available in print or online from the Wikimedia Foundation)

Th 8/29
 * In class
 * Computer lab session.
 * Assignment (due Th 8/29)
 * Create a Wikipedia account and register on the APS Wikipedia Initative portal (see in class handout)


 * Complete the online student orientation. During this training, you will create an account, make edits in a sandbox, and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.

Account and user page creation handout, Video on creating an account, Using talk pages, Talk pages tutorial video, Evaluating Wikipedia article quality , Wikimarkup cheatsheet, Referencing: Wikicode handout
 * Handouts and videos:

Week 2: Class discussions, creating user page
T 9/3
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on biases in reasoning (all course readings are posted on Moodle).

Th 9/5
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on decision making.


 * Assignments (due week 3)
 * Create a user page, and sign up on the list of students on the course page.
 * To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to any Wikipedians helping your class (such as a Wikipedia Ambassador), and leave a message for a classmate on their user talk page.


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

Week 3: Class discussions, Exploring the topic area
T 9/10 Discuss reading on person perception.
 * In class
 * Handouts: Advice for choosing articles and How to get help

Th 9/12 Discuss reading on stereotypes. You should be looking for stubs or starter articles, as these will allow you to write most of the article. A good place to look is in Social psychology stubs. If you are interested in writing about a prominent social psychologist, then check out the list of stubs for psychologists. Make sure that the person you choose is a social psychologist: Psychologist stubs.
 * Assignments (due week 4):
 * Critically evaluate an existing Wikipedia article related to the class, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article’s talk page. There are some low-quality articles listed in the articles section of our APS page.
 * Research and list 3–5 articles on your Wikipedia user page that you will consider working on as your main project. Ask your instructor for comment.

Refer to the handout Advice for choosing articles.

Week 4: Using sources, class discussions
Discussion of reading on automaticity. Referencing handout, Plagiarism handout, Citing sources tutorial video, RefToolbar citation tool tutorial video, Sandbox tutorial
 * In class
 * Handouts and videos: “Referencing on Wikipedia” and “Understanding Wikipedia’s copyright policy”


 * Assignment (due week 5)
 * Add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to a Wikipedia article related to the class.


 * For next week
 * Instructor evaluates student's article selections, by week 5.

Week 5: Choosing articles
T 9/24
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on positive illusions about the self.

Th 9/26
 * In class
 * Meeting computer lab. Discuss the range of topics students will be working on and strategies for researching and writing about them.


 * Assignments (due week 6)
 * Select an article to work on, removing the rest from your user page. Add your article to the class’s course page.
 * Compile a bibliography of relevant research and post it to the talk page of the article you are working on. Begin reading the sources.

Week 6: Selecting an article, class discussions
T 10/1
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on generational changes in self image.

Th 10/3
 * In class
 * Meet in computer lab.
 * Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
 * Q&A session with instructor about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.


 * Assignments (due week 7)
 * 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, write a summary version reflecting the content the article will have after it's been improved, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. This assignment will be graded as a group grade, so it does not matter which student's Wiki account is used to make these changes (that is, it does not matter who writes on the talk page or creates content in their sandbox).
 * 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.


 * Milestone
 * All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.

Week 7: Drafting starter article, class discussion
T 10/8
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on social cognitive neuroscience.
 * Handout: Moving out of your sandbox

Th 10/10
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on attraction.


 * Assignments (due week 8)
 * Move sandbox articles into main space.
 * Optional: For new articles or qualifying expansions of stubs, compose a one-sentence “hook,” nominate it for “Did you know,” and monitor the nomination for any issues identified by other editors.
 * Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
 * At this point, the two students in your group should have divided the sub-headings between you. That is, each of you should take primary responsibility for editing certain sections of the article. You should read your partner's drafts of sections and make changes and comments. Remember that as long as you are logged into your account when you make these changes, I will be able to determine precisely what information was contributed by each student. This is important for evaluating your work for grading.

Week 8: Building articles, class discussion
Th 10/17
 * In class
 * Share experiences and discuss problems.
 * Discuss reading on moral psychology.
 * Handouts: Uploading images and Evaluating Wikipedia article quality (handed out originally in week 2)


 * Assignments (due week 9)
 * Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
 * Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copy-edit. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)

Week 9: Getting and giving feedback
T 10/22
 * In class
 * Meet in computer lab. As a group, have the students offer suggestions for improving one or two of the students' articles, setting the example for what is expected from a solid encyclopedia article.

Th 10/24 Discuss reading on political psychology
 * In class

Week 10: Class Discussions and Continue article work
T 10/29
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on Mindless Eating.

Th 10/31
 * In class
 * Discuss reading on Internet Psychology

Week 11: Discuss student choice topics, continue work on article

 * In class
 * Discuss student choice topics.


 * Assignments
 * Continue to refine your article - Should be complete enough for peer review by Tuesday

Week 12: Peer review, Student topics
T 11/12 Discuss student choice topic.
 * In class

Th 11/14 Discuss student choice topic.
 * In class


 * Assignments due next week
 * Peer review two of your classmates' articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
 * Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.

Week 13: Student topics

 * In class
 * Discuss student choice topics.

Continue to refine your article.
 * Assignments

Week 14: Student topics, edits based on peer review

 * In class
 * Discuss student choice topic.


 * Assignments
 * Make edits based on peers' feedback

Week 15: Student topics, course wrap-up

 * Milestone
 * All articles have been reviewed by others. All students have reviewed articles by their classmates.
 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.

Week 16 - Finals week: Due date
You made it!


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

([ Click to return to your main course page and continue.])