Assigning students to create an entry or edit an existing entry for Wikipedia can be a great alternative to the traditional research paper. Wikipedia assignments help students to:
Writing for Wikipedia can be an empowering and enlightening experience for students! However, transitioning your class to include a Wikipedia assignment requires forethought and planning, as well as a thorough understanding of Wikipedia's editing expectations and culture. We recommend that you design your Wikipedia assignment the semester prior to teaching and consult resources from the Wiki Education organization.
Every semester, Wiki Education offers an online training program to guide instructors on how to create an effective assignment. Wiki Education also offers online training modules you can do at your own pace.
If you would like library support for your Wikipedia assignment, Gina Bastone, Humanities Librarian, is our resident Wikipedia expert. Gina offers the following Wikipedia support to instructors:
Contact Gina at g.bastone@austin.utexas.edu for more information.
The UT Libraries hosts Wikipedia edit-a-thons a couple of times during the academic year. At these edit-a-thons, students, faculty, and staff gather to improve articles on specific themes, often focusing on underrepresented groups. These are fun events with low commitment, and a great way to introduce your students to editing Wikipedia.
See the UT Libraries' Event Calendar for information regarding these events, or email Gina Bastone: g.bastone@austin.utexas.edu.
Updated July 2021
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