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Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Emory University/German in Georgia (Fall 2017)

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Course name
German in Georgia
Institution
Emory University
Instructor
Hiram Maxim
Wikipedia Expert
Shalor (Wiki Ed)
Subject
German
Course dates
2017-08-24 00:00:00 UTC – 2017-12-05 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
14


This course examines the presence of German in the state of Georgia from the early 18th century until today

Student Assigned Reviewing
Denizparmaksiz

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Tuesday, 26 September 2017   |   Thursday, 28 September 2017
In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project

Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.

This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.

Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.

To get started, please review the following handouts:


Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
  • Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (To avoid hitting Wikipedia's account creation limits, this is best done outside of class. Only 6 new accounts may be created per day from the same IP address.)
  • It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
  • When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
Milestones

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 2

Course meetings
Tuesday, 3 October 2017   |   Thursday, 5 October 2017
In class - Discussion
What's a content gap?

Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.

  • Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
  • What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
  • Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
  • What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?


Assignment - Choose an article
  • If you plan to translate any work, take the "Translating Articles" training, linked below. 
  • Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
  • Choose two articles (a first choice, and a backup) to translate into German or to work on in the German Wikipedia. Create a section in your sandbox titled "article selection" and post links to both the English and/or the German versions of your articles. 
  • Once your instructor has approved one or both of your choices, finalize your choice of which article to translate by assigning your chosen topic to yourself on the Students tab of this course page.


Assignment - Best practices for working in groups
  • Make sure everyone in the group is assigned to the same Wikipedia article on the Students tab of this course page.
  • Select one group member whose Sandbox space you'll all share to draft your article. Each person should link to that shared Sandbox from their own Sandbox page. A sandbox is like any other page on Wikipedia, and anyone can edit it.
  • Wikipedia doesn't allow multiple people to edit from different devices at the same time. If you're working together in person, one person should add the work to the Sandbox. If you are all working independently, make small edits and save often to avoid "editing conflicts" with classmates. Make sure that you're logged in under your own Wikipedia account while editing in your classmate's sandbox to ensure your edits are recorded.
  • Don't create a group account for your project. Group accounts are prohibited.

Week 3

Course meetings
Thursday, 12 October 2017
Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia

 It's time to think critically about your Wikipedia topic. 


  • Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
  • Create a section in your sandbox titled "Article evaluation" where you'll leave notes about your observations and learnings. 
  • As you read your articles in German and/or English, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these): 
    • Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
    • Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
    • Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
    • Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
    •  Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted? 
    • Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
    • Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic? 
    • How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
    • How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Week 4

Course meetings
Tuesday, 17 October 2017   |   Thursday, 19 October 2017
In class - Discussion
Thinking about sources and plagiarism
  • Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
  • What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
  • What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
  • What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?


Assignment - Begin translating and/or find your sources

If you're translating an article

  • Copy your article from the target-language Wikipedia into your sandbox.
  • Begin to translate your work.
  • Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? 

If you're drafting original content
 In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.

  • Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
  • Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.

Week 5

Course meetings
Tuesday, 24 October 2017   |   Thursday, 26 October 2017
In class - Class Discussion
  • Be ready to discuss your progress translating your article or drafting your work.


Assignment - Continue working on your Wikipedia projects

If you're translating an article


  • Continue to translate your work.
  • Introduce citations from English-language texts and the German-language texts that support the facts stated in your translated article. Adjust your translation if necessary.
  • For each sentence you translate, make a note of the sources used in the original article. Are they good sources? Do they really say what the Wikipedia article describes?

If you're contributing new content
Creating a new article?

  • Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
    • A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.

Improving an existing article?

  • Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.

Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.


Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Week 6

Course meetings
Tuesday, 31 October 2017   |   Thursday, 2 November 2017
In class - Discussion
Thinking about Wikipedia
  • What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
  • What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
  • On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
  • If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?


Assignment - Expand your work

If you're translating an article

  • Keep working on transforming your translation into a complete article. 
  • Carefully note the original citations for facts in your source article. 

If you're contributing new content

  • Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
  • If you'd like a Wikipedia Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.


Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
  • First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
  • Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit who are doing the same kind of assignment as you are (either translating or editing). On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review. Then in the "My Articles" section of the Home tab, assign them to yourself to review. 
  • Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians. 
  • As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic? 
Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 7

Course meetings
Tuesday, 7 November 2017   |   Thursday, 9 November 2017
In class - Polish your work

Discussion of the progress you're making in your Wikipedia projects. 


Assignment - Respond to your peer review

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!

  • Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
  • Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.

Week 8

Course meetings
Tuesday, 14 November 2017   |   Thursday, 16 November 2017
Assignment - Translation projects
Publish your work
  • Review the Sandboxes and Mainspace training below. 
  • Move sandbox articles into main space. 

If you're expanding an existing article
If you are expanding an existing article, it's time to add your revised translation (including English sources, when available). 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. Be sure to check the article's talk page and respond to suggestions from Wikipedians. Don't panic if your edits are removed or changed! Discuss it civilly on the article's talk page, and make a note of it for your report or presentation about your editing experience.
If you're creating a new article
If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow instruction on the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.


For all translations

  • In your first edit to the article namespace, include a link of the source article (i.e., the article you translated) in the "edit summary" before hitting "save."
  • Copy the code to the bottom of the Wikipedia article, replacing es with the language code of the language you a translating from and replacing Page Title with the title of the source page.



Assignment - Editing project
Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."


Editing an existing article?


  • NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
  • Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
  • Be sure to copy text from your sandbox while the sandbox page is in 'Edit' mode. This ensures that the formatting is transferred correctly.

Creating a new article?


Week 9

Course meetings
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
Assignment - Continue improving your article

Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
  • Consider adding an image to your article. Wikipedia has strict rules about what media can be added, so make sure to take Contributing Images and Media Files training before you upload an image.


Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
  • Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.

Week 10

Course meetings
Tuesday, 28 November 2017   |   Thursday, 30 November 2017
Assignment - Final article

It's the final week to develop your article.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
  • Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!


In class - In-class presentation

Present about your Wikipedia editing experience.

Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:

  • Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
  • Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?
  • Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?
  • Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
  • Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?

Week 11

Course meetings
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
Milestones

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.

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