When students edit Wikipedia, they show the world what they know, and they show themselves that they know. They’re making a statement. Not just in their contribution, but by contributing. They’re looking at what they’ve learned and they tell the world: “I know this.” That’s the difference between writing for an assignment and writing for an audience.
Students make the leap from passive learning to an active expression of knowledge. They rephrase and revise their understanding as they work. They put knowledge into their own words, they make it theirs, and pass it on. In the end, they’ve shared real knowledge with the world. But they’ve also made that knowledge distinctly their own.
In a study of our program participants, conducted during the Fall 2016 term, we found that students gain real skills through engagement with Wikipedia. Having completed a Wikipedia assignment, students take away digital literacy skills, critical research skills, the ability to write for a public audience, collaboration skills, and increased motivation in their work.
We’ve helped hundreds of instructors design courses that empower students to contribute to public knowledge. Here are just a few:
“I realized I do have knowledge I can contribute.”
— Megan Maurino, student, UC Berkeley
97,000+That’s how many students have taken on Wikipedia assignments since 2010.
97%The percentage of instructors who would teach with Wikipedia again.
109,000+The number of articles students have worked on.
We change the lives of students by helping students change the world.
Wiki Education is accelerating global access to information by connecting higher education resources to the publishing power of Wikipedia. The organization cultivates learning that enriches Wikipedia and universities, creating a world where any learner can contribute to open scholarship and education for all.