Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Indiana University of Pennsylvania/Rhetorical Traditions (Spring 2020)

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Course name
Rhetorical Traditions
Institution
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Instructor
Matthew Vetter
Subject
Linguistics
Course dates
2021-01-20 00:00:00 UTC – 2021-05-03 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
20


English 831: Rhetorical Traditions serves as a multicultural introduction to rhetoric, rhetorical theory, and rhetorical history. Rhetoric has been predominantly and historically identified as a Western (Greco-Roman) domain, one in which male voices figure/d prominently. This course seeks to challenge and disrupt such identification, through a re-visioning of rhetoric as it is practiced and understood by voices outside dominant discourses. To that end, while we will read some classical texts by figures such as Plato and Aristotle, we will take a comparative approach that examines rhetoric in ancient cultures beyond the Greek tradition. Furthermore, by exploring contemporary theories, practices, and applications, we will work to validate traditionally marginalized voices and identities. We will pay special attention to the ways in which feminist rhetorical practices allow us to rethink rhetoric, and the ways in which digital technologies are shaping new methods of rhetoric and communication. Finally, throughout the course we will ground our study of rhetoric in its application to the teaching of writing.

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Wednesday, 20 January 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:


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 2

Course meetings
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
In class - Discussion

Week 3

Course meetings
Wednesday, 3 February 2021
Assignment - Exercise
In class - Discussion
Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area

Biographies

Cultural Anthropology

History

LGBT+ Studies

Linguistics

Women's Studies

Week 4

Course meetings
Wednesday, 10 February 2021
Assignment - Add to an article

Week 5

Course meetings
Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Assignment - Start drafting your contributions

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Week 6

Course meetings
Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Assignment - Peer review an article

Guiding framework

In class - Discussion
Milestones

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

Week 7

Course meetings
Wednesday, 3 March 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 8

Course meetings
Wednesday, 10 March 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 9

Course meetings
Wednesday, 17 March 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.

Week 10

Course meetings
Wednesday, 24 March 2021
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
Wednesday, 31 March 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!


In class - In-class presentation
Assignment - Reflective essay

Week 12

Course meetings
Wednesday, 7 April 2021
Milestones

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