March 8, 2007
If You Can't Beat 'Em...
Nicola Pratt, a lecturer in international relations at the University of East Anglia, in England, tells The Guardian that she was once one of those "disgruntled" academics who berate students for using Wikipedia in their essays. But then Ms. Pratt had an epiphany: Instead of complaining to her students, why not recruit them to make Wikipedia better?
The lecturer is now asking her graduate students to edit eight Wikipedia articles -- on contentious topics related to the politics of the Middle East -- and to make them more balanced. Ms. Pratt has also told students they must create a new article of their own. One hopes students' grades won't be dependent on articles making it intact through Wikipedia's rough-and-tumble editing process. --Brock Read
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I applaud this lecturer’s assignment.
I believe that the vision of Wikipedia is being harmed by professional public relations agencies who can hire full time people to police articles there and keep the bias (POV) on their client’s sides.I have seen it happen over and over.
She has an excellent idea which I hope will be contagious to other professors throughout the world to combat corporate influence on Wiki.
Best from Ilena
http://www.BreastImplantAwareness.org/Wikipedia.htm
— Ilena Rosenthal Mar 8, 01:49 PM #
Yawn. Wikipedia will become simply another product in the marketplace, where the haves get to control what is written about xyz. So much for democracy in action.
— Tiffany Barnswell Mar 8, 04:31 PM #
Cory Doctorow is doing this with his class at USC also – the students are assigned to improve Wikipedia articles weekly as course assignments. I think it’s a good idea – we’re training students to become scholars, and part of being a good scholar is communicating well, not just consuming well.
— Luther Blissett Mar 9, 07:50 AM #
I keep my students as far away from Wikipedia as possible. I have spent time trying to edit some articles and consensus wins over peer-reviewed science every single time
— Phil McCubbinre Mar 9, 11:08 AM #
I think this is a great idea. It can be used to teach composition, critical thinking, research skills, etc. and in the process, possibly, improve the information available. Wikipedia is out there and students use it – this type of assignment gives students the skills to use it critically.
— Susan Fleming Mar 9, 12:11 PM #
More balenced? I doubt it. Students will wirte what the teacher wants in order to get a good grade. Teachers who force students to promote their political views, should be treated like teachers who would force sex from students for better grades!
— Bruce Mc DOnald Mar 9, 12:13 PM #
I think think this is a great idea, especially for a small seminar-like class of seniors or graduate students where not only can content be expanded, but sticky issues of knowledge and epistomology and the role of science and social science in society can be explored. This could be more problematic for the “hard sciences” where multiple truths are a less frequent occurance.
— Alan A. Lew Mar 10, 12:09 PM #
Terrific idea, especially as the realities of audience, information format and means of transmission become part of the content. I’m not jaded enough to yawn, and don’t think that the mere fact of the assignment implies anything about forcing students to reproduce the views of the teacher.
— Erin Valentino Mar 15, 02:27 PM #