Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/University of Wisconsin - La Crosse/African Archaeology (ARC 312) (Fall 2014)/Timeline

Assignments
Students will learn the basics of Wikipedia editing, and be required to edit and contribute to Wikipedia in several different ways. There is a bit of a learning curve, but help with be available from the instructor, the Ambassador program, and online forums such as the Tearoom.

As a class, we'll work together to edit the "African archaeology" main page, updating references and presenting a coherent narrative about the African archaeological past. I will provide very specific editing instructions; for example, students might be required to add one sentence to the "African archaeology" page, and that one sentence must include a reference to the readings assigned for that week.

Students will then be required to contribute an original article or substantive edits to an existing article on topics that could include, but are not limited to, the topics listed in the final section of this course page. Prior to submission, students' work will be evaluated by peer groups and by the instructor for clarity, content, proper referencing, and strict adherence to Wikipedia's protocols and standards.

Finally, students will write a short reflective essay on their experience with the Wikipedia process.

Grading
Wikipedia contributions will total 50% percent of your final grade for the course, which will be broken down as follows:
 * 5% Participation in Wikipedia exercises (account setup, training modules, group edits, etc.)
 * 35%: Creation of original article or substantive editing of existing article
 * 10%: Short reflective essay

The goals for these assignments are multifold: to give students practical experience in researching the academic literature on African archaeology, to make the fruits of their research available to the wider community, and to critically reflect upon the many issues involved in presenting archaeological information to the general public.

Useful Handouts

 * Welcome to Wikipedia
 * Using talk pages
 * Evaluating Wikipedia article quality
 * Wikimarkup cheatsheet
 * Advice for choosing articles
 * How to get help
 * Moving out of your sandbox
 * Uploading images

Timeline

 * September 16 (Tuesday)
 * Start and 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. In addition, please sign up on the list of students on the class course page.


 * September 23 (Tuesday)
 * Create a user page, and leave a message for a classmate on their user talk page.


 * September 30 (Tuesday)
 * Team edit the Wikipedia article "African archaeology" (in class). Students should come prepared with 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, on their assigned section.


 * October 8 (Tuesday)
 * Select an article to work on, and add your article to the class’s course page.


 * October 15 (Tuesday)
 * Compile a bibliography of relevant research (at least five sources) and post it to the talk page of the article you are working on. Begin reading the sources.


 * October 22 (Tuesday)
 * 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.


 * October 29 (Tuesday)
 * Move sandbox articles into main space.
 * Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.


 * November 5 (Tuesday)
 * Peer review two of your classmates' articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
 * Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.


 * December 5 (Thursday)
 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.


 * December 17
 * Write a reflective essay (2 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.

Potential Article Topics
Students are welcome to use the following ideas for new and/or revised articles on Wikipedia about African archaeology. I will be happy to provide assistance with finding references, images, etc.


 * Kariandusi Museum (linked from the National Museums of Kenya page), needs an entirely new article.


 * Kondoa Irangi Rock Paintings (linked from UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa page), in central Tanzania. Article needs expansion.


 * Hyrax Hill, Kenya. Article needs expansion.


 * Mumba Cave, Tanzania. Article needs expansion.


 * Dufuna Canoe, very old boat from Nigeria. Article needs expansion.


 * Ruins of Songo Mnara (linked from UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa page), needs an entirely new article on this Swahili Coast site in Tanzania.


 * Ruins of Loropéni (linked from UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa page), in Burkina Faso. Article needs expansion.


 * Tiya (linked from UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa page), megalithic site in Ethiopia. Article needs expansion.


 * Domboshawa Cave (linked from National Monuments of Zimbabwe page). Needs an entirely new article.


 * Gwisho Hot Springs, Zambia. Needs an entirely new article.


 * Ha Baroana, rock art site in Lesotho. Article needs expanding.


 * Matsieng Footprints, rock art site in Botswana. Article needs expanding.


 * Kintampo (archaeological site), Ghana. Article needs expanding.


 * Shum Laka, Cameroon. Article needs expanding.


 * Chibuene, Mozambique. Article needs expanding.


 * Dia, Mali. Article needs expanding.


 * Jenini, pre-colonial slaving camp in Ghana. Needs an entirely new article.


 * Nyero rockpaintings, Uganda. Article needs expanding.


 * Tazunu megalithic sites, Central African Republic. Needs an entirely new article.


 * Adrar Bous, Niger. Needs an entirely new article.

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