UPDATE: This course now runs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:School_of_Open_course - this is a course archive from an earlier round. Head over to Wikipedia to sign up!
Already registered? Visit the class Wikipedia page to get started!
This facilitated course runs for six weeks, starting 14 May 2013 (Americas) or 15 May (Asia, Australia). Online class times are Tuesday evenings (Americas) or Wednesdays (Asia, Australia). We will also have optional lab sessions at the same time of day on Thursday/Friday (see "Course Calendar" for exact times). To sign up, click "Start Course" at bottom left.
Course overview:
If you can read Wikipedia, you can learn to build it! In this course, you will learn about the software, the rules, and the cultural values that drive and support this ubiquitous and community-built online encyclopedia. We will focus on articles about openness in education: open educational resources, MOOCs, Creative Commons licenses, and related topics.
While writing and editing articles, students will learn about the values and culture that have driven hundreds of thousands of volunteers to build Wikipedia, which in its 12 year history has generated millions of free articles in hundreds of languages. We will cover the technical skills needed to edit articles, as well as sharing practical insights into the site's collaborative norms and social dynamics. Students will gain confidence in taking on technical challenges and editorial disagreements. If you join us, you will graduate with an ability to compose useful articles, and a sophisticated understanding of how Wikipedia works, and how to search and read it.
Your weekly assignments will guide you to:
- Learn the Five Pillars (core policies) of Wikipedia
- Review a Wikipedia article and post suggestions for improvement on its talk page
- Join a WikiProject, where you can find other Wikipedia contributors who share your interests
- Participate in a decision (for instance: an article peer review, an article deletion decision, a new policy or software feature)
Students who successfully complete the course and the final project will earn the WikiSOO Burba Badge.
Target learner:
Anyone who wishes to learn to edit Wikipedia, or to improve their editing skills. Content will be tailored to those interested in and knowledgeable about open educational resources (OER). (No background in OER is required.)
Novice Wikipedians discovering the magic.
Photo by Ellis Christopher, CC BY
Already registered? Visit the class Wikipedia page to get started!