Academic Writing and Wikipedia

EdTech 2015

Dr Sharon Flynn

Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, NUI Galway

Wikimedia Community Ireland

Twitter: @sharonlflynnUser:Sharonlflynn

On Wikipedia

• The free encylopedia that anyone can edit

• Launched 15th January 2001

• Consistently in 10 most popular websites (www.alexa.com)

Wikipedia and student plagiarism

Wikipedia and student plagiarism

Academic Writing in Higher Education

Students’ lack of skills and awareness (S.1)

- Unintentional plagiarism

- Different expectations

- Lack of skills (basic writing, study, information literacy)

- Mixed messages

Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Staff Concerns (Group 2, 2013)

Staff Concerns (Group 2, 2013)

Times Higher Education10 February 2015

“Lecturers should be encouraging their classes to edit and improve Wikipedia pages. At the very least, more academics should become Wikipedia editors – writing on their areas of expertise.” – Neil Selwyn, professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University

The 5 Pillars (WP:5P)

Beyond Wikipedia

Projects at NUI Galway

Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaillimh

• Editathon on Vicipéid and Wikipedia

Academic Writing Centre

• Women in History Editathon

BA Journalism

• Wikinews projects

Insight Centre for Data Analytics

• Vicipéid in schools

Wikimedia Community Ireland

• Wiki Loves Monuments

Wikipedia Education Programme

With thanks to…

Wikimedia Community Ireland, especially Shannon Eichelberger, Rebecca O’Neill and Eugene Eichelberger (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_Ireland)

Toni Sant, Education Organiser, Wikimedia UK

Martin Poulter, Wikimedian in Residence at Bodleian Libraries, Oxford

References

Turnitin White Paper. Plagiarism and the Web: Myths and Realities Retrieved 27 May, 2015, from https://turnitin.com

Parr, C. (2015, 10 February). Wikipedia should be 'better integrated' into teaching. Times Higher Education. Retrieved 27 May, 2015, from http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk

Flynn, S. (2013). Teaching staff concerns about academic integrity and their implications for staff development. Proceedings of the International Conference Plagiarism across Europe and Beyond. Retrieved 27 May, 2015, from https://plagiarism.pefka.mendelu.cz/