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Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Missouri, Columbia/Black Sexual Politics (Spring 2018)

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Course name
Black Sexual Politics
Institution
University of Missouri, Columbia
Instructor
Christina Carney
Wikipedia Expert
Shalor (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Black Studies
Course dates
2018-01-16 00:00:00 UTC – 2018-05-03 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
30


The Wikipedia assignment is designed to be a springboard for your final paper project. For the Wiki project, students are asked to improve or create articles on Wikipedia as an assignment for the course. You are required to pick a topic relevant to the field of black sexual politics, using the article, “Whose Afraid of Black Sexuality,” by Stacey Patton in The Chronicle of Higher Education as a catalyst. For example, you could update the biography of a scholar we’ve discussed or other African-American writers on Wikipedia. Or, contribute thematic content related to misinformation on a variety of articles, including updating the reception and reviews of works of African-American literature, or articles about African-American culture or articles about sexuality more broadly. There are a few hundred "stubs" (aka short or underdeveloped articles that are perfect for students to work on) already identified in relation to sexuality.

First, students are required to sign up to the course page with their Wikipedia usernames. They can both create their usernames and enroll to the course page with a custom enrollment link; this link will be emailed on 01/12/2017 via a Canvas message. Please contact the instructor immediately if you have not received the link. Once you are signed up, your dashboard will have a timeline of specific training modules that you must complete. In order to get credit, you must complete the trainings/assignments by the due date. This semester you'll be working with Wikipedia Expert Shalor Toncray, she is linked to our course page for your convenience. If you have questions throughout the semester, first review all trainings and help resources and then reach out to Shalor using the "Get Help" button on the Dashboard. 

Student Assigned Reviewing
Af462 C. Riley Snorton
Yaboimccross Ball Culture
Hannayowell Makode Linde
Jmjxwc Mireille Miller-Young
Makaylalooney Vesicovaginal fistula
LexiWilkinson25 C. Riley Snorton
TemiOshadiya Mireille Miller-Young
Adcurrie Sex work
Ethanillers Jeannie Pepper
Ndagfc Serena Williams
Zacharyslahr Racial Trauma
KrisHarris Colorism
Dejiam Bustle
Keannml95 Censorship on the Black Girl Experience
Adhodges Evelynn M. Hammonds
IdaVictoria Countee Cullen
Ladaggs33 Audre Lorde
AlexiaDiamond C. Riley Snorton
AshleeBurks Countee Cullen
Francenebethune Discrimination based on skin color
Ykm3n7 Colorism
Mbfcp2 C. Riley Snorton
TakaviaMoshai Bustle
Ten9k Mireille Miller-Young
Alycia Evonne Makode Linde
Sydney Stephens Vesicovaginal fistula
Tjwdpc Wade Davis
Ddw522 Bustle
Mjczq3 Homophobia in hip hop culture
Yaj4h8 Eugenics in the United States

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Wednesday, 17 January 2018   |   Friday, 19 January 2018
In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project

Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.

This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.

Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.

To get started, please review the following handouts:


Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
  • Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
  • It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
  • When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page. 
  • Finally, we introduce Intertwine, a video conferencing tool where you can will create your own User page and User Talk Page with peer editors enrolled in other courses. Sign up for a sessionhere or using the Intertwine training module below. 
Milestones

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 2

Course meetings
Monday, 22 January 2018   |   Wednesday, 24 January 2018   |   Friday, 26 January 2018
Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia

It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article related to the course and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.

  • Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
  • Create a section in your sandbox titled "Article evaluation" where you'll leave notes about your observations and learnings.
  • Choose an article on Wikipedia related to your course to read and evaluate. As you read, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
    • Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
    • Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
    • Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
    • Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
    • Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
    • Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
    • Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
    • How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
    • How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
  • Optional: Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — ~~~~.


In class - Discussion
What's a content gap?

Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.

  • Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
  • What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
  • Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
  • What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?

Week 3

Course meetings
Monday, 29 January 2018   |   Wednesday, 31 January 2018   |   Friday, 2 February 2018
Assignment - Sources & Citations

Training Due

Again, we introduce Intertwine,  a video conferencing tool where you will do an hour-long edit-a-thon to improve a fun Wikipedia article with peer editors enrolled in other courses. Sign up for a session here using the Intertwine training module below. 

Week 4

Course meetings
Monday, 5 February 2018   |   Wednesday, 7 February 2018   |   Friday, 9 February 2018
In class - Discussion
Thinking about sources and plagiarism
  • Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
  • What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
  • What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
  • What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?


Assignment - Review the rules for medical topics

Review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology.


Best practices for working in groups
  • Once your group has a Wikipedia article to work on, make sure everyone in the group is assigned to that article on the Students tab of this course page.
  • Select one group member whose Sandbox space you'll all share to draft your article. (It will be titled something like User:Diderot/sandbox.) Each person should link to that shared Sandbox from their own Sandbox page. A sandbox is like any other page on Wikipedia, and anyone can edit it.
  • Wikipedia doesn't handle multiple people editing from different devices at the same time very well. If you're working together in person, one person should add the work to the Sandbox. If you are all working independently, make small edits and save often to avoid "editing conflicts" with classmates. Make sure that you're logged in under your own Wikipedia account while editing in your classmate's sandbox to ensure your edits are recorded.
  • Don't create a group account for your project. Group accounts are prohibited.


Assignment - Choose possible topics
  • Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
  • Look up 3-5 potential topics related to the course that you might want to update on Wikipedia. Review the content of the article and check the Talk page to see what other Wikipedians are already contributing. Identify one or two areas from each that you could improve.
  • Choose 2-3 potential articles from that list that you can tackle, and post links to the articles and your notes about what you might improve in your sandbox.
  • Finally, present your choices to your instructor for feedback.

Week 5

Course meetings
Monday, 12 February 2018
Assignment - Finalize your topic / Find your sources
  • On the Students tab, assign your chosen topic to yourself.
  • In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
    • Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page, too.
    • Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.


Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area

Biographies

Books

Films

History

Political Science

Sociology

Women's Studies


Assignment - Draft your article

You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.

Creating a new article?

  • Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
    • A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.

Improving an existing article?

  • Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.



Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.

Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Week 6

Course meetings
Monday, 19 February 2018   |   Wednesday, 21 February 2018   |   Friday, 23 February 2018
In class - Discussion
Thinking about Wikipedia
  • What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
  • What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
  • On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
  • If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?


Assignment - Expand your draft
  • Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
  • If you'd like a Wikipedia Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.


Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
  • First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
  • Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column. 
  • Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians. 
  • As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic? 
  • Not only your classmates, but also a broader group of Wikipedia student editors can benefit from peer review! Here, we introduce Intertwine one more time. You will do an hour-long peer review session with peers from other courses. Sign up for a sessionhere using the Intertwine training module below. 
Milestones

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

Week 7

Course meetings
Monday, 26 February 2018   |   Wednesday, 28 February 2018   |   Friday, 2 March 2018
Assignment - Respond to your peer review

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!

  • Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
  • Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.

Week 8

Course meetings
Monday, 5 March 2018   |   Wednesday, 7 March 2018   |   Friday, 9 March 2018
Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."

Editing an existing article?

  • NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
  • Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
  • Be sure to copy text from your sandbox while the sandbox page is in 'Edit' mode. This ensures that the formatting is transferred correctly.

Creating a new article?


Assignment - Did You Know
  • Optional: For new articles or qualifying expansions of stubs, compose a one-sentence “hook,” nominate it for “Did you know,” (see the DYK instructions handout) and monitor the nomination for any issues identified by other editors. Wiki Education staff can provide support for this process.



Handout: "Did You Know" submissions

Week 9

Course meetings
Monday, 12 March 2018   |   Wednesday, 14 March 2018   |   Friday, 16 March 2018
Assignment - Continue improving your article

Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
  • Consider adding an image to your article. Wikipedia has strict rules about what media can be added, so make sure to take Contributing Images and Media Files training before you upload an image.

Week 10

Course meetings
Monday, 19 March 2018   |   Wednesday, 21 March 2018   |   Friday, 23 March 2018
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!


Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
  • Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.

Week 11

Course meetings
Monday, 2 April 2018   |   Wednesday, 4 April 2018
Milestones

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

Week 12

Course meetings
Monday, 9 April 2018   |   Wednesday, 11 April 2018   |   Friday, 13 April 2018

Week 13

Course meetings
Wednesday, 18 April 2018   |   Friday, 20 April 2018
In class - Wiki Presentations

Present about your Wikipedia editing experience.


Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:


  • Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article? 
  • Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions? 
  • Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article? 
  • Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback? 
  • Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important? 

Week 14

Course meetings
Monday, 23 April 2018   |   Wednesday, 25 April 2018   |   Friday, 27 April 2018
In class - Wiki Presentations



  • Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:


    • Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article? 
    • Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions? 
    • Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article? 
    • Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback? 
    • Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?