What a Wikipedian in Residence Can Do For You: Information Literacy and Learning Transfer

Type of Presentation

Panel (1 hour and 15 minutes presentation total for two or more presenters)

Target Audience

Higher Education

Location

Room 212

Abstract

West Virginia University Libraries hosts one of the first full time Wikipedian in an academic library in the U.S. and the only position that focuses on the sizable gender gap on Wikipedia.

Our institution has been awarded a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation to expand the work of our Wikipedian around the gender gap and service learning based opportunities for students, with support from librarians. We are creating instructional materials so the model we have created is replicable across academic libraries. Our Wikipedian’s work is also deeply embedded into designing instructional experiences for our credit-bearing classes. The Wikipedian in Residence for Gender Equity and West Virginia University Libraries' Head of Curriculum and Instruction Support have partnered to create unique instructional programming constructed around digital literacy as well as gender-based content and participation gaps on Wikipedia and beyond. For example, in our ULIB 101 Introduction to Library Research class, we make extensive use of Wikipedia-based assignments as a means of learning transfer. For example, students learn about the parts of Wikipedia articles which translate into understanding about why we use citation methods and how they function in an article. We also discuss the [citation needed] markup which indicates either support is need from an outside source or someone has used outside information without acknowledging their source. Additionally, students also examine how Wikipedia evaluates and rates their own articles and have students use that rubric to evaluate other sources throughout the class. These activities are referenced by other assignments throughout the class

Presentation Description

This presentation discusses how a Wikipedian in Residence can partner with instruction librarians to help design assignments based on learning transfer. Specifically, it will cover activities related to citation, ethical use of information, supporting claims, evaluating a source, and the equity of content online.

Session Goals

  • Participants will learn how a Wikipedian in Residence partnership within libraries functions, the gender gap on Wikipedia, and how this has translated into the building of instructional models at our library.
  • Participants will learn how Wikipedia can be used to teach the ethical use of information, evaluation, and supporting claims.

Keywords

Wikipedia; gender; credit-bearing; learning transfer

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

Share

COinS
 
Sep 28th, 8:30 AM Sep 28th, 9:45 AM

What a Wikipedian in Residence Can Do For You: Information Literacy and Learning Transfer

Room 212

West Virginia University Libraries hosts one of the first full time Wikipedian in an academic library in the U.S. and the only position that focuses on the sizable gender gap on Wikipedia.

Our institution has been awarded a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation to expand the work of our Wikipedian around the gender gap and service learning based opportunities for students, with support from librarians. We are creating instructional materials so the model we have created is replicable across academic libraries. Our Wikipedian’s work is also deeply embedded into designing instructional experiences for our credit-bearing classes. The Wikipedian in Residence for Gender Equity and West Virginia University Libraries' Head of Curriculum and Instruction Support have partnered to create unique instructional programming constructed around digital literacy as well as gender-based content and participation gaps on Wikipedia and beyond. For example, in our ULIB 101 Introduction to Library Research class, we make extensive use of Wikipedia-based assignments as a means of learning transfer. For example, students learn about the parts of Wikipedia articles which translate into understanding about why we use citation methods and how they function in an article. We also discuss the [citation needed] markup which indicates either support is need from an outside source or someone has used outside information without acknowledging their source. Additionally, students also examine how Wikipedia evaluates and rates their own articles and have students use that rubric to evaluate other sources throughout the class. These activities are referenced by other assignments throughout the class