Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Georgia Southern University/Sociology of the Life Course (Spring 2018)
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- Course name
- Sociology of the Life Course
- Institution
- Georgia Southern University
- Instructor
- Adrienne Cohen
- Wikipedia Expert
- Shalor (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Sociology
- Course dates
- 2018-01-08 00:00:00 UTC – 2018-04-25 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 35
This course uses sociological theories, perspectives, and conceptual frameworks to analyze aging-related social issues. It examines the social forces that shape the diverse experiences of aging for individuals throughout the life course. Emphasis is placed on structural issues such as age stratification, the life course, and societal aging as a force in social change.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
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- Wednesday, 10 January 2018
- 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 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:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Wednesday, 17 January 2018
- Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link. (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.
- Finally, we introduce Intertwine, a video conferencing tool where you can will create your own User page and User Talk Page with peer editors enrolled in other courses. Sign up for a sessionhere or using the Intertwine training module below.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 4
Week 3
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 22 January 2018 | Wednesday, 24 January 2018
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article related to the course and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- 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.
- Review the Wikipedia article about ageing. As you read, consider the following questions and reply in your Sandbox (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?
- Check a few citations (hint: focus on the section about Sociology). Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article? Where do the citations come from?
- 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?
- In order to receive full credit, you must respond to all 7 prompts above in your Sandbox.
- 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"?
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 12
Week 4
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 29 January 2018 | Wednesday, 31 January 2018
- 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?
- Again, we introduce Intertwine, a video conferencing tool where you will do an hour-long edit-a-thon to improve a fun Wikipedia article with peer editors enrolled in other courses. Sign up for a session here using the Intertwine training module below.
- Guide for writing articles in your topic area
- Assignment - Choose possible topics
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook and the "finding your article" training, linked below.
- Look up 2-3 potential topics related to ageing or sociology. Use the links provided here to narrow your focus. Once you have one or two ideas, review the content of the article and check the Talk page to see what other Wikipedians are already contributing. Identify one or two areas from each that you could improve.
- For both articles from that list, create a section in your sandbox called "article proposal" and post links to the articles and your notes about what you might improve about the topic. Identify which of the topics is you preferred subject.
- Your instructor will provide you with feedback on the topics you have selected.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 12
Week 5
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 5 February 2018 | Wednesday, 7 February 2018
- Assignment - Finalize your topic / Find your sources
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
- You should have received feedback about which topic to move forward with. On the Students tab, assign the chosen topic to yourself.
- If you have not selected a topic yet be sure to review article options from the list provided on the "articles" tab at the top of the page.
- 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, too.
- Compile a list of at least 3 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.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 10
Week 6
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 12 February 2018 | Wednesday, 14 February 2018
- Assignment - Copyedit your article
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
On the Students tab, confirm that you have assigned your chosen topic to yourself.
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by making a small change to your article. This change does not have to be the contribution of new content. Instead, try making minor grammatical changes, fixing errors, etc.
While you're working, use your Sandbox to write up an outline of your article as it currently stands. What sections already exist? What sections do you plan to update? What new section do you want to add?
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 5
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 19 February 2018 | Wednesday, 21 February 2018
- 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 - Draft your article
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
Tips for 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. Continue making notes for improvement in your sandbox.
- Keep reading your sources as you work to write the main part of your contribution.
- You should now be writing paragraphs of what you plan to contribute to improve your article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 9
Week 8
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 26 February 2018 | Wednesday, 28 February 2018
- Assignment - Complete first draft
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
- 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.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 14
Week 9
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 5 March 2018 | Wednesday, 7 March 2018
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Select a classmate’s article that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the article that you want to review. Then in the "My Articles" section of the Home tab, assign it to yourself to review.
- Peer review your classmate's draft. Leave suggestions 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?
- Not only your classmates, but also a broader group of Wikipedia student editors can benefit from peer review! Here, we introduce Intertwine one more time. You will do an hour-long peer review session with peers from other courses. Sign up for a sessionhere using the Intertwine training module below.
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 12
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 19 March 2018 | Wednesday, 21 March 2018
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
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 Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 5
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 26 March 2018 | Wednesday, 28 March 2018
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
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.
For help, you can review the "Sandboxes and Mainspace" training.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 5
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 2 April 2018 | Wednesday, 4 April 2018
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
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.
- OPTIONAL: 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.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 2
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 9 April 2018 | Wednesday, 11 April 2018
- Assignment - Final article
Due before Wednesday at 2:30pm.
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 Wikipedia Expert at any time!
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 100
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 16 April 2018 | Wednesday, 18 April 2018
- In class - Monday and Wednesday in-class presentations
Individuals will present about your Wikipedia editing experience.
Cover the following five areas in your presentation by reflecting 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?
Your grade for your presentation will be evaluated by your ability to respond to each of the five areas above (10 points each) and 5 points for organization and clarity.
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 55 (If you do your presentation this week)
Week 15
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 23 April 2018 | Wednesday, 25 April 2018
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Due before class on the 25th. Wednesday by 2:30pm.
Write a reflective essay (2–5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.
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? If you did not, what type of feedback would have been helpful?
- Wikipedia generally: What did you find most valuable about this Wiki project? What did you find least valuable about this Wiki project? How can this project be improved for future students? Would you choose this assignment over a traditional research paper for future students?
Your grade for your reflection will be evaluated by your ability to respond to each of the five areas above (10 points each) and 5 points for clarity of writing. Be sure to clearly organize your paper with a section title for each bullet above.
- In class - Monday and Wednesday in-class presentations
Individuals will 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?
- Notes
All assignments and trainings are due by class time on Wednesday.
Maximum earned points for the week: 110 (If you do your presentation this week. If not, 55)