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- Course name
- Plant Ecology
- Institution
- York University
- Instructor
- Dawn Bazely
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Ecology
- Course dates
- 2021-01-11 00:00:00 UTC – 2021-04-07 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 33
BIOL 3290.40 used to be listed as BIOL 4090.40 since the 1980s. At a 2014 Biology Department curriculum retreat, after much discussion about the undergraduate biology programme, we decided to make it a third-year course. The main reason was that many of the 4th year Biology Ecology courses that were launched in the last 25 years, do not have laboratories. Yet, labs are key part of learning to do science. So, BIOL 3290.40 provides you with important research and critical thinking skills for doing well in your 4th year Ecology, Evolution, Environmental Science and Conservation courses.
This course also transitions you from lower year courses, which are more in line with high school science thinking, to upper year courses, where we expect you to ask and find the answers to science questions that may not be straightforward.
This course emphasizes showing initiative, and teamwork. You have all had at least two years as undergraduate students, so I expect, and hope that you will demonstrate, and implement what you have learned in previous courses. This means that you should be reviewing your notes from previous courses – this is how it is in the real world – life after university. You will be expected to bring previously learned knowledge and skills to the table.
One important skills development goal is to learn to respond effectively to feedback. My final (of several grades) for your essay, as you develop it, will be delivered at the end of the term, and hopefully, it will increase!
10% of your final mark is from a Wikipedia assignment in which you will add a minimum of 250 words to one or more Plant Ecology related Wikipedia articles.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 13 January 2021 | Friday, 15 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:
- 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.)
- Assignment - Wikipedia assignment blog
Begin a blog about your experiences. You can use discussion questions to frame your entries, or reflect on the research and writing process. Create at least one blog entry each week during the Wikipedia assignment.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
- In class - Discussion
Week 2
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 18 January 2021 | Wednesday, 20 January 2021 | Friday, 22 January 2021
- Assignment - Choose possible topics
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6
- In class - Discussion
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 25 January 2021 | Wednesday, 27 January 2021 | Friday, 29 January 2021
- Assignment - Add to an article
- Assignment - Exercise
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 1 February 2021 | Wednesday, 3 February 2021 | Friday, 5 February 2021
- Assignment - Peer review an article
- In class - Discussion
- 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.
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 8 February 2021 | Wednesday, 10 February 2021 | Friday, 12 February 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
- 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 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 22 February 2021 | Wednesday, 24 February 2021 | Friday, 26 February 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!
- Assignment - Reflective essay
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.