Using Wikipedia to Jumpstart Students' Information Literacy Engagement in a 12-Week Course

Situated as the culminating project within a University Seminar course titled, “A Diversity of Voices: Seeking Truth in Research,” our class of undergraduate students contributed to incomplete and under-represented Wikipedia articles as a means to explore their roles in the scholarly conversation. Utilizing the resources and expertise of the Wikipedia Education Program’s scaffolded approach to instruction and course integration, we identified under-developed topics relevant to the course’s themes of social justice and inclusivity of marginalized voices. Throughout the term, the Wikipedia research and editing component served as a hands-on application of the concepts of inquiry, source evaluation, bias and partisan examination, and scholarly composition upon which the course was framed. With an eye towards evaluating their selected Wikipedia article for accuracy, content gaps, currency of information, and authority of sources, students were charged with the task of adding to the existing body of information on topics such as the gender pay gap and LBGTQ representation at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The use of Wikipedia editing in place of a traditional research paper yielded a number of positive changes including students’ reflection of contributing their efforts to an organic body of knowledge that will continue to grow after the course concluded. In addition to online citizenship inherent to the editing process, students engaged in discussions regarding privilege and discovered ways in which Wikipedia attempts to break down barriers to information access. Given Wikipedia’s neutrality policy for information and the subsequent, ongoing contributions and discussions of contributing editors, students experience a glimpse of a community of practice-based approach to scholarship that aligns with the ACRL Frames of ‘Information Creation as a Process’ and ‘Scholarship as Conversation.’

In this presentation, our aim is to relate our experience with reimagining a traditional research paper and challenge participants to reinvent their own research assignments. We plan to explore the ways in which we leveraged expertise within our own Library in the form of guest speakers on topics ranging from community-engaged research to copyright. In addition, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted a portion of the term and necessitated a rapid shift to online instruction, we intend to relate critical lessons learned and share how, even in challenging and distanced times, connecting students and showcasing their work both synchronous and asynchronous methods is possible.

While our Wikipedia editing component was integrated into a full semester course, we will provide ideas for one-shot instruction session use as well as guide participants to resources for inspiration as well as case studies of use.