The CUNY Newmark Wikimedian-in-Residence project, in partnership with Wikimedia NYC, has kicked off the Spring semester! Faculty are incorporating Wikipedia and other wiki-platforms as learning tools in a wide range of courses, including Criminology, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Photography, History, and Literature and Composition, with more collaborations planned in the coming months.
We asked faculty to share how they are incorporating these open knowledge tools into their teaching this semester and what skills or insights their students can gain from the experience.
Here are a few of the responses received:
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“I use the Wikipedia Assignment as the primary assignment (60%+ of the grade) in all my undergraduate courses in history. Students hone the same skills expected in a good historian: an attention to details (references) which requires active and critical discovery and reading of peer-reviewed journal articles/secondary sources. This generation of students were often told not to use Wikipedia—the Assignment shows them how Wikipedia is the biggest group project in which they will ever participate, yet can be tailored to one’s individual interests.”
Alvin Khiêm Bùi
Assistant Professor of History of Asian Peoples in Diaspora,
CUNY Brooklyn College
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“In ENG 103: Research Methods for Our Times, students learn about Wikipedia and how to edit it to experience what it means to build a better Web for all: one that places learning at the forefront and is unrestricted by the limitations of the tracking-surveillance-attention model.”
Ximena Gallardo C.
Professor, English
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
Professor, Interactive Technology and Pedagogy
CUNY Graduate Center
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“In COMD 1340 Photography 1, a foundation course in the Communication Design Department, there is a big emphasis on creativity and experimentation. When students photograph a location for Wikimedia Commons, they have to keep aesthetics in mind but also make sure that the image they submit conveys the relevant information about that site and meets the standards of Wikimedia. In other words, they get a taste of the experience of working for a client. Additionally, it motivates students to have an audience beyond the classroom for their work.”
Robin Michals
Professor, Photography
CUNY City Tech
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For a select list of Wikipedia and wiki-platform coursework completed at CUNY dating back to 2011, visit Wikipedia:WikiProject City University of New York/Courses.
