Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Rutgers University/Search and the Information Landscape (Spring 2023)

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Course name
Search and the Information Landscape
Institution
Rutgers University
Instructor
Joyce Valenza
Wikipedia Expert
Brianda (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Course dates
2023-01-17 00:00:00 UTC – 2023-05-08 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
30


DESCRIPTION: This course explores professional, user-centered strategies for seeking, finding, retrieving, managing, evaluating, and sharing information across an array of traditional and emerging digital platforms, as well as the evolving role of the information professional.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Discuss search in an informed manner, using critical terminology and concepts derived from popular, professional and scholarly literature. Demonstrate expertise in use of the search features, structure and syntax used by major online proprietary databases. Engage and communicate effectively with users/clients/students to determine and meet their information needs in both face-to-face and digital settings. Describe and respond to key concepts in judging search effectiveness and evaluating the credibility, validity and usefulness of content. Differentiate among, and assess the value of, emerging genre of search engines and portals, social media and curation platforms in the process of developing a rich and diverse professional search toolkit Create and curate guidance and instruction in a variety of forms, including: Web-based search guides and current awareness strategies for targeted clients, organizations or groups of users. Demonstrate tactics for keeping up with search tools, data, resources, and strategies in a shifting search environment Demonstrate the evolving value and the services of an information professional in the information abundant, DIY search ecosystem.

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Tuesday, 17 January 2023   |   Wednesday, 18 January 2023   |   Thursday, 19 January 2023   |   Friday, 20 January 2023   |   Saturday, 21 January 2023
In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment

Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.

Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resources:

Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia

Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)

Milestones

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 2

Course meetings
Sunday, 22 January 2023   |   Monday, 23 January 2023   |   Tuesday, 24 January 2023   |   Wednesday, 25 January 2023   |   Thursday, 26 January 2023
Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
In class - Discussion

Week 3

Course meetings
Sunday, 29 January 2023   |   Monday, 30 January 2023   |   Tuesday, 31 January 2023   |   Wednesday, 1 February 2023   |   Thursday, 2 February 2023
Assignment - Choose possible topics

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6

In class - Discussion

Week 4

Course meetings
Sunday, 5 February 2023   |   Monday, 6 February 2023   |   Tuesday, 7 February 2023   |   Wednesday, 8 February 2023   |   Thursday, 9 February 2023
Assignment - Make a small edit
Assignment - Finalize your topic and find sources

Week 5

Course meetings
Sunday, 12 February 2023   |   Monday, 13 February 2023   |   Tuesday, 14 February 2023   |   Wednesday, 15 February 2023   |   Thursday, 16 February 2023
Assignment - Start drafting your contributions

Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Milestones

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Week 6

Course meetings
Sunday, 19 February 2023   |   Monday, 20 February 2023   |   Tuesday, 21 February 2023   |   Wednesday, 22 February 2023   |   Thursday, 23 February 2023
Assignment - Peer review two articles

Guiding framework

In class - Discussion
Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 7

Course meetings
Sunday, 26 February 2023   |   Monday, 27 February 2023   |   Tuesday, 28 February 2023   |   Wednesday, 1 March 2023   |   Thursday, 2 March 2023
Assignment - Respond to your peer review

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.

Resources:

  • Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
  • Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.

Week 8

Course meetings
Sunday, 5 March 2023   |   Monday, 6 March 2023   |   Tuesday, 7 March 2023   |   Wednesday, 8 March 2023   |   Thursday, 9 March 2023
Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia

Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13

Week 9

Course meetings
Monday, 20 March 2023   |   Tuesday, 21 March 2023   |   Wednesday, 22 March 2023   |   Thursday, 23 March 2023   |   Friday, 24 March 2023
Assignment - Continue improving your article

Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.

Week 10

Course meetings
Sunday, 26 March 2023   |   Monday, 27 March 2023   |   Tuesday, 28 March 2023   |   Wednesday, 29 March 2023   |   Thursday, 30 March 2023
Assignment - Polish your work

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

Week 11

Course meetings
Sunday, 2 April 2023   |   Monday, 3 April 2023   |   Tuesday, 4 April 2023   |   Wednesday, 5 April 2023   |   Thursday, 6 April 2023
Assignment - Final article

It's the final week to develop your article.

  • Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
  • Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!
In class - In-class presentation
Assignment - Reflective essay

Week 12

Course meetings
Sunday, 9 April 2023   |   Monday, 10 April 2023   |   Tuesday, 11 April 2023   |   Wednesday, 12 April 2023   |   Thursday, 13 April 2023
Milestones

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.