How students are engaging in critical public and digital Scholarship efforts on Wikipedia

As digital humanities and social science projects evolve, they must directly address the ever-intensifying crisis of information access and integrity confronting the world. Pedagogical praxis can play a critical role in meeting the challenges of this rapidly changing information landscape. In this workshop, you will hear from faculty at postsecondary institutions who have centered public scholarship work into their courses by implementing assignments that enable students to contribute to Wikipedia.

You’ll hear from faculty representing the fields of Art History and Anthropology as well as Wiki Education staff who support these Wikipedia initiatives. We will explore the power dynamics of collaborative production and dissemination of knowledge; authorship and public voice; Wikipedia’s limitations and biases; and issues related to knowledge equity. We will consider how the process of contributing to Wikipedia can empower students by building their confidence as public intellectuals while providing them with opportunities to present knowledge on topics that have historically been left out of the record. Session attendees will learn how to integrate the Wikipedia assignment into their own curricula while gaining a deeper understanding of the role that open knowledge can play in the field of Religion and related areas.