Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/UCLA/CHEM 172 (Spring 2017)
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- Course name
- CHEM 172
- Institution
- UCLA
- Instructor
- Spokoyny, Alex
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
- Course dates
- 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC – 2017-06-16 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 80
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
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- Friday, 14 April 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:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- 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! These trainings are required for your course.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate's Talk page.
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook and then search around on Wikipedia for a few ideas of article you may want to improve.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 17 April 2017 | Wednesday, 19 April 2017 | Friday, 21 April 2017
- Assignment - Form groups & evaluate Wikipedia
Form groups of two with someone that you share a common interest with for this project.
Group work tips
- Once you finalize your topic, you should 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.
- REMEMBER: Don't create a group account for your project. Group accounts are prohibited.
Pick at least two topics of interest that your group may want to improve on Wikipedia and complete an article evaluation.
Article Evaluation process
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- Read your two articles, and while you read, consider some questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- 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?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Take notes in your group sandbox about what you've learned about Wikipedia generally and about your subject particularly during this process.
- Optional: Choose at least 1 questions relevant to one of the articles you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Ian (Wiki Ed) (talk) 22:24, 12 June 2017 (UTC).
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 24 April 2017 | Wednesday, 26 April 2017 | Friday, 28 April 2017
- In class - Find references to support both topics
In your group sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected articles.
- Take the "Sources & Citations" training.
- 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.
- Start compiling 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 group sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
- Ask TAs for comments/suggestions about your topic choices. Be prepared to provide some background to justify your choice.
Handouts: Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
- In class - Topic finalized
- Your TA needs to approve your final topic.
- Once approved, both members of your group should assign their chosen topics to themselves on the Students tab above.
- You should also have at least 5 references for your topic compiled in your group sandbox space.
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 1 May 2017 | Wednesday, 3 May 2017 | Friday, 5 May 2017
- Assignment - Draft your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
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 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 8 May 2017 | Wednesday, 10 May 2017 | Friday, 12 May 2017
- Assignment - Illustrate your article
You'll want to find or create an appropriate photo, illustration, or piece of video/audio to add to your article.
- Before you start, review the Illustrating Wikipedia handbook, or see Editing Wikipedia pages 10–11.
- When you've reviewed those pages, take the training linked below.
- When you're ready to start finding images, remember: Never grab images you find through an image search, or those found on Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, Imgur, or even so-called "Free image" or "free stock photo" websites. Instead, you'll want to find images with clear proof that the creator has given permission to use their work. Many of these images can be found on search.creativecommons.org or commons.wikimedia.org.
- If you want to create your own graph, photo, or other illustration, remember: don't just upload an image to Wikipedia. Instead, upload it to Wikipedia's sister site for images, Wikimedia Commons. For instructions, read through the Illustrating Wikipedia handbook.
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 15 May 2017 | Wednesday, 17 May 2017 | Friday, 19 May 2017
- Assignment - Expand your draft
- Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft.
- You should have at least 10 references for your topic now compiled to help as you expand your draft.
- Get draft ready for peer-review. This is not a rough draft. Your draft should be high quality and ready for review.
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 22 May 2017 | Wednesday, 24 May 2017 | Friday, 26 May 2017
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- As a group, select two other groups’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column.
- 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?
- 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.
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 8
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 29 May 2017 | Wednesday, 31 May 2017 | Friday, 2 June 2017
- Assignment - Continue improving your article & figure
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique. If you're still working on your image, graph, or figure, continue working to improve it.
- Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
Handout: Polishing your article
- Assignment - Final article & figure submitted
It's the final week to develop your article. This is not a rough draft or "first" draft.
- 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!
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 5 June 2017 | Wednesday, 7 June 2017 | Friday, 9 June 2017
- Assignment - 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!
Creating a new article?
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
Once it's live:
- 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.
- Review Editing Wikipedia page 15 again to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
Handout: Moving out of your Sandbox
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.