Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Minnesota/Fiction and the Future (Fall)
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- Course name
- Fiction and the Future
- Institution
- University of Minnesota
- Instructor
- Joseph Sannicandro
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Cultural Studies
- Course dates
- 2021-09-07 00:00:00 UTC – 2021-12-23 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 25
In this course we will confine ourselves to reading one subgenre of literature—speculative or science fiction—because, more than any other genre, it engages explicitly with the question of “the future.” We will ask how science fiction is related to the future, and why, in the 2020s, it may be important to rethink this relationship. We read a selection of works ranging from the genre’s origins in the 19th century up to the present. These readings will be augmented by theoretical works designed to clarify the key concepts structuring the course.
The direction of the course emphasizes how modern SF emerged during the age of European imperialism, and such tales of space exploration often become coded allegories for colonization and domination. Stories of technological progress and space travel register anxieties over industrial modernity, as well as guilt and fear of the effects of colonization and slavery. The second half of the course explores more recent movements, including Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, and Solarpunk, which adopt non-linear approaches to time and offer a different relationship between past and future.
Because we are reading works from a range of historical periods (from ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, early modern Europe, contemporary America), I encourage the class to consider the ways different subject positions and historical eras reflect their own perspectives and biases onto their visions of the future, which are just as often about the past and the present. In decentering or destabilized some received notions, I am asking students to bring these insights to bear on the topic they choose for the Wiki assignments.
Timeline
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Wednesday, 15 September 2021
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 20 September 2021 | Wednesday, 22 September 2021
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
- In class - Discussion
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 27 September 2021 | Wednesday, 29 September 2021
- Assignment - Choose possible topics
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6
- Assignment - Discussion
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 4 October 2021 | Wednesday, 6 October 2021
- Assignment - Add to an article
- Assignment - Exercise
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 11 October 2021 | Wednesday, 13 October 2021
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 18 October 2021 | Wednesday, 20 October 2021
- Assignment - Peer review two articles
- In class - Discussion
- 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, 25 October 2021 | Wednesday, 27 October 2021
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
- Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 1 November 2021 | Wednesday, 3 November 2021
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
Week 10
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 8 November 2021 | Wednesday, 10 November 2021
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
Week 11
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 15 November 2021 | Wednesday, 17 November 2021
- 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 Wikipedia Expert at any time!
Week 12
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 22 November 2021 | Wednesday, 24 November 2021
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.