To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the enactment of the 19th amendment, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is opening a museum exhibit called Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. It will highlight both the told and untold history of women’s suffrage in America. Consider that even before the amendment’s passage, some women could vote … Continued
Thais Morata and Erin Haynes at the University of Cincinnati recognize the importance of students having robust science communication skills. So last Fall 2018, they incorporated a Wikipedia writing assignment into their course where students could expand Wikipedia pages about science topics that were interesting to them. The course, Communicating Your Science, “will enable students in … Continued
In Fall 2018, Dr Rebecca Barnes of Colorado College began asking her environmental science students to write Wikipedia pages for women scientists. In response, her students have risen to the occasion, producing a total of 52 new biographies for women in a wide variety of STEM fields since then. “I am excited for my students … Continued
When young women see women in STEM succeed and thrive, they feel empowered to follow their passions into those careers as well. The gender imbalance of STEM fields is not only a daunting, self-reinforcing cycle, but also a barrier to new scientific discovery (diversity and inclusion make a difference!). It’s something that must be corrected … Continued
“I call my senators, I vote, I donate to the ACLU, and now, I edit Wikipedia.” Students lack the critical media skills they need to navigate our increasingly digital society. That’s what Stanford Graduate School of Education determined in their 2016 study of media literacy in youth. Participating students were unable to identify credible sources … Continued
In their newly published research analysis of the Wikipedia assignment, Dr. Ariella Rotramel, Rebecca Parmer, and Rose Oliveira of Connecticut College define success based on diverse pedagogical goals. Is the assignment an effective way to increase student engagement with library resources and collections? Do students gain skills related to the course topic area (feminist theory), … Continued
Wikipedia is one of the most important resources for public education in the world. It’s free, openly licensed, and available to anyone who has internet access worldwide. No ads, no collecting or selling of personal data, and no fake news. So for Open Education Week, we’re highlighting how higher education instructors and their students use … Continued
It’s not every day that a student takes the time to officially thank their professor for a great project. But that’s what Madeleine Hardt, Dr. Jennifer Glass’ student at Georgia Institute of Technology, did after learning how to write Wikipedia articles as a class assignment. The thank you came in the form of a certificate of appreciation … Continued
“Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.” * Every year, communities around the world join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize International Mother Language Day. This year, the 2019 theme celebrates Indigenous languages in particular, asserting that “Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building … Continued