Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Maryland College Park/LING272 Biophysics of Language (Fall 2020)
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- Course name
- LING272 Biophysics of Language
- Institution
- University of Maryland College Park
- Instructor
- John Locke
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Linguistics
- Course dates
- 2020-09-01 00:00:00 UTC – 2020-12-14 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 30
Course Description on University Website: Examines the nature of mental representation of language in the physiology of the mind/brain, how it evolved, how it emerges in learners' minds, and how it decays through injury and illness. Insights from linguistics, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, animal behavior, molecular biology, and biophysics are brought to bear on how an abstract systematic behavior can arise within an animal brain.
Course Description on Syllabus: A classical debate concerns whether natural language is unique. While communication systems are common, the properties of human language have not been easy to find in other species. This course debates that question, different sides of which are left for students to take. The only precondition is that the matter be approached scientifically, starting with notions from the Computational Theory of Mind. Depending on the majors that students seek, insights from linguistics, paleo-anthropology, cognitive psychology, animal behavior, neuroscience, molecular biology, biophysics, etc., may be brought to bear on how an abstract systematic behavior can arise within an animal brain, and what that says about language and evolution.
Course Goals: Students succeeding in the class should be able to: Critically evaluate the literature on human and animal cognitive behavior (concerned with both communication and computational processes), develop skills related to the analysis of written scientific studies, and formulate and defend arguments related to central issues in the language sciences (and science more generally).
The Wikipedia component of this course is meant to: Help students learn about and discuss source evaluation and bias appraisal and the importance of effective communication in the sciences, begin to learn about and engage in the process of peer review, actively research topics that will inform the generation of experimental proposals related to questions in biolinguistics, and assist in the development of critical thinking and writing skills necessary for future coursework and career success.
Timeline
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 8 September 2020 | Thursday, 10 September 2020
- 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
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 15 September 2020 | Thursday, 17 September 2020
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
- 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.)
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
- In class - Discussion
Week 4
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 22 September 2020 | Thursday, 24 September 2020
- Assignment - Review the rules for health topics
- In class - Discussion
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 29 September 2020 | Thursday, 1 October 2020
- Assignment - Add to an article
- Assignment - Exercise
- Assignment - Exercise
Week 6
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 6 October 2020 | Thursday, 8 October 2020
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 13 October 2020 | Thursday, 15 October 2020
- Assignment - Peer review an article
- In class - Discussion
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 20 October 2020 | Thursday, 22 October 2020
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
- 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.
- 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
-
- Tuesday, 27 October 2020 | Thursday, 29 October 2020
- 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 10
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 3 November 2020 | Thursday, 5 November 2020
- 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!
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Week 11
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 10 November 2020 | Thursday, 12 November 2020
- Assignment - Original analytical paper
Write a paper going beyond your Wikipedia article to advance your own ideas, arguments, and original research about your topic.
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.