2024:Program/How I created an Introduction to Wikipedia course on WikiLearn
Session title: How I created an Introduction to Wikipedia course on WikiLearn
- Session type: Lecture
- Track: Contributor/Community Engagement
- Language: en
WikiLearn is a Wikimedia project where participants can enrol in online courses related to Wikimedia. I created an introductory course about Wikipedia, and will detail the creation process and feedback from their recent roll out. Because the course are pre-recorded, they have allowed new users to learn in their own time without having to travel to a major city. There are still challenges, and I will share feedback collected from users who have completed the course.
Description
[edit | edit source]To make learning about Wikipedia more accessible, I created an 'Introduction to...' course on the Wiki Learn platform. I used to present introductory sessions in person and online around Australia, but found there was limited resources to refer people to after. A second problem was, a lot of people couldn't attend in-person events because of the time or location, while for online sessions, others struggled to watch the Zoom session and practise editing in real time.
The WikiLearn platform allows for new users to enrol in a course focused on Wikipedia and complete the course in their own time. They can pause videos, read additional documentation and transcripts, or download and print everything as needed. This allows them to continue the course offline if needed too.
By taking quizzes, their progress is measured, and by the completion of the courses a new user should have made several edits to Wikipedia and better understand how contributions are made.
Once completed, the participant receives a certificate or badge/micro-credential, which they can display on their CV, website, LinkedIn, etc. It doesn't mean they are an expert, but it shows they have an understanding of the basics on these platforms.
Other people around the world are also creating courses on WikiLearn, so this presentation will be an opportunity to show my experience, and highlight the other work happening on WikiLearn.
Session recording: https://www.youtube.com/live/QKPni-4S5yw?feature=shared&t=7920
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Collaboration of the Open?
This session is about bringing new collaborators into Wikimedia projects through courses on WikiLearn. By taking a course, new users will learn about how they can contribute and collaborate with the wider community. In particular, they will learn about collaborating with WikiProjects, Wikimedia Chapters, and groups of individuals who are each working on their own projects across all of the Wikimedia projects.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Resources
[edit | edit source]- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1udyFXRnS7DWkwYqr9cA2MvDjWdkt_vQdINCc8JEniI4/edit?usp=sharing
Speakers
[edit | edit source]- James Gaunt
- I'm an Australian contributor, mainly on Wikipedia and Commons. I previously ran The Record project with Wikimedia Australia to get more Australian music content onto Wikipedia.