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Course name
COMM 394RI- Race and Gender in Sitcoms
Institution
UMASS-Amherst
Instructor
Prof. D. Shabazz
Wikipedia Expert
Adam (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Communication
Course dates
2016-09-06 – 2016-12-25
Approximate number of student editors
25


Section One of COMM 394RI-O1 Fall 2016 Race and Gender in Sitcoms: Exploration of the Social and Cultural Aspects of a Popular Entertainment Form

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Thursday, 15 September 2016
In class - Wikipedia essentials
  • Overview of the course
  • Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course
  • Understanding Wikipedia as a community, we'll discuss its expectations and etiquette.

Handout: Editing Wikipedia

Week 2

Course meetings
Tuesday, 20 September 2016   |   Thursday, 22 September 2016
In class - Create your account and learn the basics
  • Create an account and then complete the online training for students. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.

* Add 1–2 sentences of new information to a to a Wikipedia article related to the class, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source.

Handout: Editing Wikipedia


In class - Create an Account and Wikipedia identity
  • Create an account and then complete the online training for students. During this training, you will make edits in a sandbox and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia.
  • Create a User page.
  • To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to another student on their user talk page.

* Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.

Handout: Editing Wikipedia
Help:Editing

Week 3

Course meetings
Tuesday, 27 September 2016   |   Thursday, 29 September 2016
In class - Wikipedia Basics
  • Basics of editing
  • Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish between good and bad articles
  • Collaborating and engaging with the Wiki editing community
  • Tips on finding the best articles to work on for class assignments




Handouts: Using Talk Pages, Evaluating Wikipedia


In class - Practicing the basics
  • To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to another student on their user talk page.
  • Explore topics related to your topic area to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement.




Resources: Online Training for Students


In class - Choosing Wikipedia entries to edit and potential topics
  • Be prepared to discuss some of your observations about Wikipedia articles in your topic area that are missing or could use improvement.

* Begin research on your Wikipedia topic for single authored project

Handouts: Choosing an article



Assignment - Copyediting -- practicing editing basics Assignment
  • Add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to a Wikipedia article related to the class.

Week 4

Course meetings
Tuesday, 4 October 2016   |   Thursday, 6 October 2016
In class - Research single authored subject
  • Choose one article, identify ways in which you can improve and correct its language and grammar, and make the appropriate changes. (You do not need to alter the article's content.)

Handouts: Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

Milestones

All students have Wikipedia user accounts and are listed on the course page.

Week 5

Course meetings
Tuesday, 11 October 2016   |   Thursday, 13 October 2016
In class - Using sources
  • Be prepared to explain close paraphrasing, plagiarism, and copyright violations on Wikipedia.

Handouts: Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism


In class - Choosing your article
  • Your instructor has created a list of potential topics for your main project. Choose the one you will work on.
  • Compile a bibliography of relevant, reliable sources and post it to the talk page of the article you are working on. Begin reading the sources. Make sure to check in on the talk page (or watchlist) to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.

Week 6

Course meetings
Tuesday, 18 October 2016   |   Thursday, 20 October 2016
In class - Discuss the article topics
  • Discuss the topics students will be working on, and determine strategies for researching and writing about them.

Week 7

Course meetings
Tuesday, 25 October 2016   |   Thursday, 27 October 2016
In class - Wikipedia culture and etiquette
  • Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
  • Q&A session with instructor about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.
  • If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use "summary style", in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
  • Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
  • Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.


In class - Drafting starter articles
  • If you are starting a new article, write an outline of the topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia lead section of 3–4 paragraphs in your sandbox. Wikipedia articles use "summary style", in which the lead section provides a balanced summary of the entire body of the article, with the first sentence serving to define the topic and place it in context. The lead section should summarize, very briefly, each of the main aspects of the topic that will be covered in detail in the rest of the article. If you are improving an existing article, draft a new lead section reflecting your proposed changes, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page. Make sure to check that page often to gather any feedback the community might provide.
  • Continue research in preparation for writing the body of the article.

Week 8

Course meetings
Tuesday, 1 November 2016   |   Thursday, 3 November 2016
Milestones

Week 9

Course meetings
Tuesday, 8 November 2016   |   Thursday, 10 November 2016
In class - Building and adding on to original Wikipedia entry
  • Demo uploading images and adding images to articles.
  • Share experiences and discuss problems.




Resources: Illustrating Wikipedia and Evaluating Wikipedia


Assignment - First Draft of Original Entry is Due
  • Expand your article into a complete first draft.
  • Make sure that draft entry is placed in sandbox


In class - Place original draft into Sandbox
  • Type original draft into Wikipedia required format 
  • Place draft in "Sandbox" section of Wikipedia Education space 

Week 10

Course meetings
Tuesday, 15 November 2016   |   Thursday, 17 November 2016
In class - Group discussion on editing
  • As a group, offer suggestions for improving one or two other students' articles, based on your ideas of what makes a solid Wikipedia entry.


Milestones

Week 11

Course meetings
Tuesday, 22 November 2016   |   Thursday, 24 November 2016
Assignment - Peer review and copyedit
  • Peer review two of your classmates’ articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
  • Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the table at the bottom of this course page, add your username next to the articles you will peer review. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)
Milestones

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

Week 12

Course meetings
Tuesday, 29 November 2016   |   Thursday, 1 December 2016
In class - Media literacy discussion
  • Open discussion of the concepts of neutrality, media literacy, and the impact and limits of Wikipedia.


In class - Address peer review suggestions
  • Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback. If you disagree with a suggestion, use talk pages to politely discuss and come to a consensus on your edit.

Week 13

Course meetings
Tuesday, 6 December 2016   |   Thursday, 8 December 2016
In class - Discuss further article improvements
  • Continue discussing how the articles can be further improved. Come up with improvement goals for each article for next week.
  • Check in with the Wikipedia Education Foundation about whether your article will post by December 19, 2015 (prior to grade submission for course)


In class - Continue improving articles
  • Return to your classmates' articles you previously reviewed, and provide more suggestions for further improvement. If there is a disagreement, suggest a compromise.
  • Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on your classmates' suggestions and any additional areas for improvement you can identify.


Assignment - Moving entry of Sandbox into Main Space
  • We'll discuss moving your article out of your sandboxes and into Wikipedia's main space.
  • Move your sandbox articles into main space. 
  • Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your lead section and fix any major issues.
    • If you are expanding an existing article, 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.
    • 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 the instructions in the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.
  • Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.


  • A general reminder: Don't panic if your contribution disappears, and don't try to force it back in. 
    • Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
    • Contact your instructor or Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.

Handout: Moving out of your Sandbox

Week 14

Course meetings
Tuesday, 13 December 2016   |   Thursday, 15 December 2016
Assignment - Final article
  • Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.
  • Final entry is due and should be uploaded by Dec. 22, 2016 -- the last week of final exams



Handout: Polishing your article

Week 15

Course meetings
Tuesday, 20 December 2016   |   Thursday, 22 December 2016
Assignment - Publish completed entry
  • Students have finished all their work on Wikipedia that will be considered for grading.
  • Send link to instructor that shows your entry is now pat of Wikipedia Education


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