Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Manhattanville College/Economics of Developing Countries (Fall 2014)/Timeline

Timeline

This is a temporary timeline. I will be modifying it through the month of august. Note: All assignments are due at 11:45pm (Eastern Time) on the last day of the week (Sunday) that it is assigned. I will be able to see if you have completed the assignment or not by checking your contributions page.

Week 1: Wikipedia essentials

In class

Overview of the course
Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course

Mini assignments

Complete Wikipedia Adventure Game. During this training, you will create an account, make edits, and learn the basic rules of Wikipedia. After you complete playing this game, your user page will show badges just like mine does.
Start the online student orientation. This training teaches you the same topics as the Wikipedia Adventure game but in more detail.
Also look at this Handout: Welcome to Wikipedia (available in print or online from the Wikimedia Foundation)

Week 2: Editing basics

In class

Basics of editing
Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish between good and bad articles
Tips on finding the best articles to work on for class assignments

Read the handouts: Using talk pages, Evaluating Wikipedia article quality, Wikimarkup cheatsheet

Mini-assignments

Complete the online training for students.
Complete the quiz on the editing wikipedia. It is a open-book, complete-at-your-own--time quiz on Blackboard.

Week 3: Practicing

Sign up on the list of students on the course page. The password for signing up on the course page is in your syllabus.
To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself to our Wikipedia ambassador Lane Rasberry user:Bluerasberry, and leave a trial message for one of yours classmates on their user talk page.

Milestone

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

Week 4: Exploring the topic area

In class

Handouts: Advice for choosing articles and How to get help

Mini assignments

Critically evaluate an existing Wikipedia article related to the class, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article’s talk page.
Research and list 3–5 articles on your Wikipedia user page that you will consider working on as your main project. Ask your instructor for comment.

Week 5: Using sources

Mini assignment

To arm up, add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to one of the 3-5 articles you selected last week.
Handouts: “Referencing on Wikipedia” and “Understanding Wikipedia’s copyright policy”

For next week

Instructor evaluates student's article selections, by week 5.

Week 6: Choosing articles

In class

Discuss the range of topics students will be working on and strategies for researching and writing about them.
Workshop in the library on using library resources.

Mini assignments

Select an article to work on, removing the rest from your user page. Add your article to the class’s course page.
Compile a bibliography of relevant research and post it to the talk page of the article you are working on. Order any books/articles that you need via interlibrary loan. Begin reading the sources.

Week 7: Drafting starter articles

In class

Talk about Wikipedia culture and etiquette, and (optionally) revisit the concept of sandboxes and how to use them.
Q&A session with instructor and our Wikipedia Ambassador about interacting on Wikipedia and getting started with writing.
Begin working with classmates and other editors to polish your short starter article and fix any major issues.

Mini assignments

If you are starting a new article, write a 3–4 paragraph summary version of your article—with citations—in your Wikipedia sandbox. If you are improving an existing article, write a summary version reflecting the content the article will have after it's been improved, and post this along with a brief description of your plans on the article’s talk page.
Continue research in preparation for expanding your article.

Milestone

All students have started editing articles or drafts on Wikipedia.

Week 8 Continuing research and drafting

Continue researching your topic and drafting your article in your sandbox.

Mini assignments

Respond to any concerns about your plans that have been raised on your article's talk page. Modify your plans based on the feedback received.

Week 9: Continuing research and drafting

Mini assignments

Respond to any concerns about your plans that have been raised on your article's talk page.
Finish the draft.

Week 10: Moving articles to the main space

Mini assignments

Move sandbox articles into main space.
Handout: Moving out of your sandbox

Week 11: Building articles

In class

Share experiences and discuss problems.
Handouts: “Uploading images” and “Evaluating Wikipedia article quality” (handed out originally in week 2)

Mini assignments

Expand your article into an initial draft of a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copy-edit. (You don’t need to start reviewing yet.)

Week 12: Getting and giving feedback

In class

As a group, students will offer suggestions for improving one or two of the students' articles, setting the example for what is expected from a solid encyclopedia article.

Mini assignments

Peer review two of your classmates' articles. Leave suggestions on the article talk pages.
Copy-edit the two reviewed articles.

Milestone

All articles have been reviewed by others. All students have reviewed articles by their classmates.

Week 13: Responding to feedback

Mini assignments

Make edits to your article based on peers’ feedback. Start drafting your reflective essay that summarizes your contributions and reflects on your experience of contributing to Wikipedia. What do you think about the strengths and weaknesses of encyclopedia. What are doe of the obstacles you faced as a new contributors and what advice would you give to other editors.

Week 14: Reflective essay

In class

Students have in-class discussions about their experiences editing Wikipedia.

Mini assignments

Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.
Finish your reflective essay (2-3 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions. Upload it on the Blackboard.

Week 15: All done already

You made it! Professor will grade your reflective essay and contributions.

(Click to return to your main course page and continue.)

Add topic