Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Texas State University/POSI 3316 (Fall 2013)/Timeline

Timeline
Below your can find assignment descriptions, deadlines, and resources that are specifically related to the Wikipedia assignment. For an overview and a complete description of the readings, topics, and requirements of the entire course, please refer to the syllabus and/or our TRACS page.

Week 2: Wikipedia essentials

 * In class
 * Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course
 * Handout: Welcome to Wikipedia (available in print or online from the Wikimedia Foundation)


 * Assignment (due week 9/10)
 * 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.

Week 3: Editing basics

 * In class
 * Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish between good and bad articles
 * Tips on finding the best articles to work on for class assignments
 * Handouts: Using talk pages, Evaluating Wikipedia article quality, Wikimarkup cheatsheet


 * Assignments (due 9/17)
 * Create a user page, and sign up on the list of students on the course page.
 * To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, 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 4: Exploring the topic area & Using sources

 * In class
 * Meet group members.
 * Handouts: Advice for choosing articles and How to get help
 * Handouts: “Referencing on Wikipedia” and “Understanding Wikipedia’s copyright policy”


 * Assignments (due 9/24):
 * Research and list 3–5 articles on your Wikipedia user page that you will consider working on as your main project.

Week 5: Choosing articles

 * In class
 * Schedule group meeting with professor. These meetings will be required for ALL group members. Because attendance is mandatory, we will meet during the assigned class time period.
 * Feedback from professor.
 * Discuss the range of topics students will be working on and strategies for researching and writing about them.


 * Assignments (due 10/8)
 * 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: Drafting starter articles

 * In class
 * Q&A session with professor about getting started with writing.


 * Assignments (due 10/15)
 * 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.
 * Begin working with group 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: Moving articles to the main space

 * In class
 * Select a group from the class that you will peer-review and copy edit (you don't need to start reviewing yet).
 * Handout: Moving out of your sandbox


 * Assignments (10/22)
 * Move sandbox articles into main space.
 * Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.

Week 8: Building articles

 * In class
 * Share experiences and discuss problems.
 * Workshop outside of class
 * Demo uploading images and adding images to articles. (ADD VIDEOS)
 * Handouts: “Uploading images” and “Evaluating Wikipedia article quality” (handed out originally in week 2)


 * Assignments (due 10/29)
 * Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.

Week 9: Getting and giving feedback

 * In class
 * As a group, students offer suggestions for improving one or two of the students' articles, setting the example for what is expected from a solid encyclopedia article.
 * Handouts: Student peer review form


 * Assignments (due 11/5)
 * Peer review of classmates' articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
 * Copy-edit the reviewed article.


 * Milestone
 * All articles have been reviewed by others. All students have reviewed articles by their classmates.

Week 10: Responding to feedback
and the impact and limits of Wikipedia.
 * In class
 * Open discussion of the concepts of neutrality, media literacy,


 * Assignments (due 11/12)
 * Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback.
 * Prepare for an in-class presentation about your group's Wikipedia editing experience.

Week 11: Class presentations

 * In class
 * Students give in-class presentations about their experiences editing Wikipedia.


 * Assignments (due week 11/26)
 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.


 * Milestone
 * Students have finished all their work on Wikipedia that will be considered for grading, and have submitted reflective essays.

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