Wiki Education is helping close the gap across disciplines. For example, in 2012, geneticist Jennifer Doudna helped make one of the most remarkable breakthroughs in biology — the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, which changed editing genomes from science fiction to science. While Doudna’s Wikipedia biography looked substantial, a lot of her research was missing or contextualized in relation to her male colleagues. In 2018, one of our Wiki Scientists transformed the page so that it emphasized Doudna’s scientific achievements.

Then, on October 7, 2020, Jennifer Doudna was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work on CRISPR. Thanks to the Wiki Scientist’s work, her biography on Wikipedia explains the revolutionary potential of CRISPR and Doudna’s role in this research. Had she not added this content, millions of readers who came to Doudna’s Wikipedia biography to learn why she was awarded the Nobel Prize might have left with more questions than answers. This work reminds the public of women’s scientific contributions, inspiring new generations to pursue careers in science.

As a leading provider of team collaboration and productivity software, Atlassian believes in collaborating with like-minded organizations to tackle the inequities in STEM. So for their first cohort of Wiki Scientists, they invited their employees, members of 500 Women Scientists, and other experts to work together in our virtual Wikipedia training courses. 

The results speak for themselves. In the 4 months since the course wrapped up, the work participants added to Wikipedia (more than 17K words!) has already reached 170K readers. As Atlassian’s Event Content Operations Manager, Lauryn Yacubich thought the experience would be a great way to expand her skill set while contributing to the common good. She chose to write a biography for Eve Lipchik, an Austrian-American psychologist.

“I always had an interest in psychology and relationship therapy and when I googled her name, I thought she did some significant research that certainly changes the way therapists approach their patients now,” Lauryn reflected. “So I was surprised the biography did not exist. You don’t usually think about Wikipedia lacking in that department but I was glad I was able to contribute something. I wanted to make sure I got her background and her approach to research correct.”

Lauryn said the experience definitely invigorated new aspects of her work. Not only did it give her a chance to expand her copywriting skills, it was also a nice reminder of what drew her to Atlassian’s mission in the first place. 

“In regards to STEM, I never really considered it a part of my job, but I quickly realized that I am part of a much larger movement and the sooner I see my impact, the better I am able to contribute to the industry more.”

She’s also newly inspired to get back into some personal writing and blogging. “I feel refreshed and I also now know where I could potentially put my interest in psychology energy into – updating Wikipedia articles.”

Editing Wikipedia is a powerful, high-impact way to amplify public knowledge, but the barriers to entry into the Wikipedia ecosystem deter many. With hands-on support from Wiki Education’s Wikipedia experts, plus learning together in a cohort, these Atlassian Wiki Scientists were able to reach 170K readers so far with their work. This exposure for women in STEM who didn’t have a Wikipedia biography before could benefit their careers and the field in general.

A Wikipedia biography recognizes a scientist’s contributions in real time. It surfaces her expertise to journalists and panel organizers, humanizes her beyond her CV or university profile, and shows young people interested in STEM what career paths are possible for them. It also does the important work of boosting a scientist’s credibility, changing stereotypes about who gets to be a scientist, and fostering trust in scientific research. 

Together, we can increase public awareness of women in STEM while bringing more diverse voices to the writing of our living history. 

Interested in joining this initiative or starting one of your own? Send an email to partner@wikiedu.org. We’d love to help more companies achieve their missions of elevating women in STEM and other fields through this important work.

When it comes to experts’ understanding of climate science and the public’s understanding, there are some well-documented differences. American Physical Society members have been closing the gaps with impactful work on Wikipedia. With 18 billion page views per month, Wikipedia content has a proven track record for affecting collective behavior across a wide range of sectors. 

Since 2019, the American Physical Society (APS) has empowered 110 members—from a high school student to a Nobel Prize laureate—to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of physics and physicists. These scientists practice their science communication on a worldwide stage, write biographies of historically excluded physicists, leverage Wikidata—the open data repository behind Wikipedia—and are now correcting content gaps related to climate mitigation.

Dr. Allie Lau, the APS Public Engagement Sr. Programs Manager, has been instrumental in advancing the work.

“APS was excited about a Wikipedia training course focused on energy and climate science as this is an area of importance to the Society and its members,” Dr. Lau shared. 

The virtual courses, seven of them so far including the latest climate-focused iteration, present an opportunity for APS members to connect across disciplines and countries like never before. 

“APS recognizes the serious consequences of climate change and urges physicists to contribute to interdisciplinary climate research collaborations and efforts to design solutions to mitigate the human impact on climate,” Dr. Lau added. “The Society is committed to actions that will reduce greenhouse gas concentration and advocates for research and development of carbon-neutral and carbon-free energy technologies.”

Facilitating this chance for physicists to contribute accurate energy research to the public dialogue has been meaningful for the Society. As their Chief External Affairs Officer, Francis Slakey explains, “The Wiki Scientists course is a great tool for achieving our mission of diffusing the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity and amplifying the voice for science.” 

Correcting well-documented knowledge gaps

By adding up-to-date climate research to Wikipedia, APS Wiki Scientists supported by Wiki Education are helping correct the following gaps in public understanding: 

People misunderstand climate science and mitigation. 

The public often cites recycling and limiting trash pollution as the actions they think are most impactful for addressing climate change, whereas climate scientists focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions on a much larger scale and across all sectors of society. 

Advances in renewable energy production, like solar* and wind, are some such mitigation strategies that physicists improved on Wikipedia as Wiki Scientists. Morgaine Mandigo-Stoba, one of these physicists, expanded the Wikipedia page about thin-film solar cells, which covers a variety of established and developing thin-film photovoltaic technologies for an audience of 5,000 readers every month. She wrote about what these types of solar cells are made out of; how they work; how they’re produced and the costs of production; their advantages over first-generation silicon solar cells (including being cheaper and safer to produce); recent advancements in how efficient they are for electricity production; their durability and lifetime; how widely used they are in new utility development; and their potential role in meeting international renewable energy goals. She even included a diagram of her own design to illustrate a solar cell I-V curve. 

“Adding good data visualizations was really important to me in terms of making this page accessible to a wide audience,” Mandigo-Stoba shared. “Of course, I hope that this exposure can lead to people making more informed energy choices. One thing we talked about in the course is that people can feel a lot of anxiety around taking action against climate change and one way to alleviate that is to simply expose them to possible solutions. I hope that this page can help alleviate some of that worry that people have about finding the ‘perfect’ energy solution and help them feel empowered to explore new green energy technology.”

Another physicist improved the Wikipedia page on wind power, adding the physics at work in the power transfer from wind into energy. This page receives even more readers per month: close to 30,000! 

As Mandigo-Stoba explains, the exercise of writing a Wikipedia page is one of science translation. “Taking a topic that at its core is very technical and making it useful and interesting to a broad audience like this is a really fun challenge,” she shared.

People don’t connect the effects of climate change to their daily lives.

Many researchers have long assumed that the public doesn’t feel the urgency around mitigating climate change that scientists do. But according to new research, 61% of Americans say global climate change is affecting their local community and 70% are alarmed, concerned, or cautious. However, many still struggle to explain the connection between their lived experiences and the science behind global warming. Fewer understand how they can help. 

That’s why adding regional-specific climate information to Wikipedia pages like climate change in Illinois, as one Wiki Scientist did, is so impactful. This page now explains that, because of climate change, Illinois is likely to experience more frequent flooding, harmful algae blooms on Lake Michigan, and higher temperatures that may harm humans and agriculture. The page also illustrates local mitigation efforts, including strategies to reduce the effects of heat islands, as well as information about the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act–a job retraining program for workers impacted by the transition to renewables.

“When I came across this page for the first time, it was in bad shape,” says APS member Maggie Geppert who tackled the updates. “It was a series of long quotes from a single source from 2016, which is not appropriate for a Wikipedia page. I originally thought about simply going back to the original source and rephrasing the quotes. In that sense, my original goal was to make the page better by just bringing it to some baseline standards. However, a topic like climate change really does need current information, and a single seven-year-old article as a source is not nearly enough. I decided to update the information and expand it from projected effects to current actions people in Illinois are taking to mitigate climate change. People need to know that there is political will in the United States to fight climate change. This is not an impossible task. It’s really, really big and really, really hard, but there are people who are willing to take action now. I chose to edit the Climate Change in Illinois page because it’s about where I live. My students will be able to read it and relate to the places and climate conditions it describes.”

Contributing up-to-date information on this topic in particular counteracts much of the popular mis-narratives circulating about climate science. Wikipedia is nicknamed the “last best place on the internet”, after all.

“When it comes to climate change, there is a lot of misinformation on social media,” Geppert added. “Wikipedia stands as a beacon of truth in an area riddled with lies and misrepresentations.”

People struggle to see where they might pursue climate-related work or they may even distrust scientists.

A Wikipedia biography recognizes a scientist’s contributions in real time. It surfaces her expertise to journalists and panel organizers, humanizes her beyond her CV or university profile, and shows young people interested in STEM what career paths are possible for them. It also does the important work of boosting a scientist’s credibility, changing stereotypes about who gets to be a scientist, and fostering trust in scientific research. This visibility is especially important for climate scientists, who–like other scientists in politicized fields–often encounter pushback in the public sector about how they know what they know.

Wiki Scientists in our courses are putting faces to climate work by writing biographies of scientists. The biographies for Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Hayhoe are much more comprehensive now. And Kate Marvel even has a new photo! Thousands of Wikipedia readers are being exposed to the scientific contributions of these scientists and others like them, every day.

Wiki Education kicked off our 8th APS Wiki Scientists course last week, and participating members will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by adding or expanding Wikipedia biographies of Hispanic and Latinx physicists. We’re thrilled at the commitment APS has made toward their mission of providing a welcome and supportive professional home for an active, engaged, and diverse membership, and we look forward to the ongoing work from their dedicated members.

The work lives on.

These are just some of the many examples of helping close the gap between expert and public understanding of climate science.

“Once you get over the fear of editing something which potentially will be read by many people, editing Wikipedia is not that difficult,” one APS Wiki Scientist shared. “Improvements can be made at all levels, from fixing grammar/readability to adding new content. And the benefit is that you are making real contributions to pages that are read by many, helping them make informed perspectives.”

For Geppert, the Wiki Scientists experience was also a new way to interact with her APS membership. “This class was an opportunity for me to mix with physicists in all different places around the world at many different stages in their career,” she added. “It was a lot of fun.”

—

* Links will direct you to Wiki Education’s Dashboard tool, which highlights the parts of Wikipedia articles that scientists in our program are responsible for writing. You also have the option in that window to navigate to the actual Wikipedia article, where you will see the same content. This tool is available to all of Wiki Education’s partners.

Wiki Education is looking to expand its impact on the public’s access to high-quality climate science. If you’re interested in getting involved, visit partner.wikiedu.org to start building your own Wikipedia Initiative with our support.

Take lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides, for example. This is an important material in the lithium-ion batteries made for electric vehicles and our phones. Why is that? How do they work? Well, you can ask Enoch Rassachack who wrote the Wikipedia article about it as part of an assignment. He’s completing an honours degree in chemistry at the University of British Columbia and entering his final year of undergraduate study. He drew upon his studies and research experience to update this public resource.

“I have some co-op experience working with batteries which helped me find this article,” Enoch shared. “I also hope to work as a researcher in materials chemistry after (hopefully) going to grad school, and this project helped me practice communicating some of the knowledge I acquired. I see climate change as the key issue defining this century as well, so I hoped to work on an article that would educate people on something related to it, whether it be atmospheric and environmental chemistry, or technology that’s helping counteract the climate crisis. Considering all this, the page on lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides fit me perfectly.”

Most of Enoch’s improvements to the article focus on adding new sections about the material’s structure and synthesis. The original version of the article touched upon these points a bit, but Enoch knew he could build upon it with the academic sources he had on hand. He also found the introductory lede section to be difficult to follow without already being knowledgeable on battery materials. This is the beauty of students engaging in this science communication work. They remember what it was like learning about these topics for the first time. But they also have developed some subject matter expertise in their studies. Enoch simplified the opening paragraphs for Wikipedia’s general audience.

“While a majority of my edits involved technical writing, my main goal was to help folks who hand’t heard of NMC materials get a basic understanding of what they are. To this end, the relatively short lead section was the most important part of the article to get right, in my opinion. Of course, my work on the body sections were also valuable, as the summarized technical knowledge would be useful for more savvy chemists/material scientists. But for most readers on Wikipedia, these sections would not be nearly as helpful as the lead.”

For Enoch, this practice in distilling a complex topic into digestible and concise explanations was good practice. He knows he’ll draw upon these skills in his future classes and career.

“There is a lot of focus on more complicated details in an undergraduate chemistry program and even in the technical writing course I did this Wikipedia assignment in, so trying to write for a more general audience was a nice change,” he shared. “Being able to generalize my research later on as a scientist will likely be a useful skill, too. I know that public sentiment can potentially be a factor in getting research funding so spreading knowledge about my own work to people without my chemistry training could help with getting grants. Practicing more concise writing will also help me be clearer in my writing in all aspects of any future career.

“I think Wikipedia can be a great reference tool as well as a good starting point for curious individuals to begin looking into certain topics. Being an online encyclopedia makes it really unique because it’s very convenient for finding generally credible information, but can still be scrutinized since anyone can modify articles. Summarizing topics is Wikipedia’s biggest strength so it is most useful for finding general knowledge in a field without going too much into detail.”

All in all, Enoch found the experience to be valuable in many ways. Considering most students say they’ve been told never to use Wikipedia, diving into its inner-workings and learning to interact with the resource critically and actively is a great experience.

“This was one of the most unique assignments I’ve ever done and gave me a good glimpse behind one of the best Internet resources available. It really showed me a more balanced side to Wikipedia; I knew how the site operated before doing the assignment, but actually taking part in edits gave me much more appreciation for the anonymous users that edit or write huge parts of articles. It’s a lot more work than it seems! My expectations for information from Wikipedia were tempered down closer to reality, too, after seeing how many pages still needed significant work in project pages. It’s still a super useful resource, but its limitations as an ever-expanding collection of knowledge are much clearer, which will ultimately help me use Wikipedia more effectively.”

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free assignment templates and resources that Wiki Education offers to instructors in the United States and Canada.

Daveen Yang is a chemistry honours major entering her 4th year who joined Robin Stoodley’s course this spring. She improved Wikipedia’s article about thin-layer chromatography, adding more than 1000 words and 53 references for the benefit of 26,000 readers since April.

“A good Wikipedia article takes very complex topics and makes them more approachable for a general audience,” Daveen shared. “It’s very powerful for anyone who may be curious about a scientific topic but doesn’t want to get lost in the jargon found in a textbook or a research article.”

Daveen wanted to reach readers beyond the academy with her choice of article, thinking about what topics might strike a chord and how she might represent them for a general audience.

“Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a powerful tool that can be interesting for non-chemists because of the visual element to it — you can separate and see the different components of a mixture. However, its a topic taught in little detail and typically only introduced in upper-year organic chemistry labs. My goal was to draw attention to this topic, and to chemistry in general.”

As Daveen began evaluating the article’s gaps, she noticed the lede section was completely missing. Given that this part of a Wikipedia article is an important introduction to the topic and is often the only thing beginners might read, she saw it as a big missed opportunity.

“The article instead jumped straight into a multiple-paragraph description of thin-layer chromatography that made the article feel repetitive and intimidating to non-chemists. Overall, the article contained a lot of good information, but it was poorly organized.”

Daveen not only reorganized the content and added new detail, but she also illustrated the article with some photos she took in a professional lab.

“I’m an aspiring organic chemist and got a lot of experience in the field during my previous co-op position at Genevant Sciences Corporation. In that position, TLC was integral to my workflow. The Wikipedia assignment was a great opportunity to research this technique and learn something that I can apply to my chemistry in the future.”

Ultimately though, it was the lessons learned about writing for a public audience that stuck with her.

“The main skill I got was writing in clear and concise language. Particularly, using simpler vocabulary and splitting long sentences into shorter ones,” Daveen noted. “Additionally, I like that the articles are often organized to have less detail in the beginning, then go more in-depth later for anyone who is interested.”

“It was an interesting challenge because of how different the writing style is from other scientific communication methods, like lab reports, that I have more experience with. However, learning to communicate complex topics in an approachable manner will certainly come up in the future as my career progresses. I will keep this assignment in mind in those occasions.”

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free assignment templates and resources that Wiki Education offers to instructors in the United States and Canada.

Adela just finished the first year of her PhD. “I like to say that I am both an archaeologist and an anthropologist who specializes in primate archaeology,” she says when we are able to connect. Her current field work and what I’m writing to her about are closely related. Adela wrote the book on primate archaeology. Well, she wrote the Wikipedia article anyway.

As part of Justin Pargeter’s course, Adela and classmates were to develop content-rich and well-researched Wikipedia articles dealing with African archaeological sites and related topics. Adela saw it as a great opportunity to build upon her existing interests.

“My current work and fieldwork are directly associated with my Wikipedia assignment. I have always been extremely interested in the study of human evolution with a particular interest in the anatomical and cognitive diversity of early hominins,” she shares. “During my academic career, I have specialized in the analysis of lithic technology and how the use of different technologies affected hominin adaptive strategies. Although I love archaeology and the opportunity to interpret the past through material objects, I wanted to expand my knowledge and interests into new avenues of research that could help me to better connect past actions with their material evidence. For me, primate archaeology was the solution I was looking for.”

Adela quickly discovered, much to her surprise, that no Wikipedia article on the subject existed. Sure, there were some on related topics (e.g., Lomekwi, Kanzi), but none about the field as a whole.

“I realized what would inspire and challenge me the most would be to write a completely new page for primate archaeology,” she shares.

The Wikipedia assignment allows for creativity and personal interest to guide the process. In Adela’s case, it was an opportunity to build upon her PhD research.

“I have always been interested in the study of human evolution. Moreover, I love interdisciplinarity. Thus, a field like primate archaeology that merges multiple fields such as primatology and archaeology seemed like a perfect fit for my academic career. Writing a page about primate archaeology felt like the most reasonable next step in that career.”

As Adela began, she discovered that defining the scope of the article allowed her to participate in a larger conversation within academia about the field itself.

“For me, the most important takeaway from my article is the fact that primate archaeology studies both the present behavior of extant non-human primates and their associated material culture. Thanks to this particular characteristic, primate archaeology is capable of contributing to the study of human evolution because it allows us to try to connect material culture with observed behaviors. An important limitation archaeology faces is that behavior does not fossilize; thus, archaeologists have to reconstruct past actions only through archaeological materials. In my opinion, primate archaeology is a step forward in trying to overcome this limitation for certain temporal periods. Furthermore, I believe that the success primate archaeological research is gaining reflects how the connection of different disciplines into a new one can be a very fruitful endeavor!”

Wikipedia itself is inherently interdisciplinary. Topics connect and connect, leading readers down rabbit-holes of discovery. The curiosity that that process inspires is similar for many of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors, who follow their passions and improve Wikipedia content as an act of creativity for the public good.

“After being part of Wikipedia and seeing how it works, I can confidently say that it is an extremely powerful tool for scientific communication. Not only does it allow experts to share their knowledge with the general public, but it could also become a platform in which to discuss and contrast ideas through the ‘talk’ page that comes with every Wikipedia article. Moreover, from the public perspective, Wikipedia is an accessible platform where to find answers to almost any question. Through the expansion of already existing articles and the creation of new ones, the power of Wikipedia could be expanded even further. Scientific knowledge should not be kept in a small circle of experts but rather it should be shared with as many people as possible. Wikipedia is a great tool to help make this feasible.”

“I think this type of assignment is extremely useful for both undergraduate and graduate courses at a university level. Writing a Wikipedia page instead of the more commonly known term paper has given me the opportunity to share my knowledge with the general public in a way that I could not have done otherwise. Moreover, writing a Wikipedia page about primate archaeology has helped me to begin to contribute to this growing discipline with a different and fresh angle that has not gone unnoticed. Overall, I believe writing a Wikipedia page should become the new version of a term paper. It is time to let students actively and publicly contribute to the growth of knowledge in those areas they are most passionate about.”

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free assignment templates and resources that Wiki Education offers to instructors in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Cynthia Gabriel’s course about LGBTQ Reproductive Health invites students at the University of Michigan to explore the biological, social, cultural, and legal experiences of LGBTQ+ family-making. Aurora Rynda and Airy Garcia both found themselves in the course last fall as they pursued degrees in biology with focuses on gender, health, and society.

Aurora and Airy worked in a group with six other students to improve Wikipedia’s article about in vitro fertilization (IVF). The article was already fairly comprehensive, but given the lens of their course, some gaps stood out to the students right away.

Noticing gaps in Wikipedia through a course lens

“The main gaps our group noticed in the IVF article were the overall lack of gender inclusive language and representation of the LGBTQ+ community,” Airy explained.

“The way the article only uses infertility as a reason to undergo IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) came as a shock to me,” Aurora added.

“We were not too surprised that these gaps existed given the general lack of awareness about LGBTQ+ reproductive health and the fact that the media tends to overrepresent cis and heteronormative individuals as the recipients of IVF,” said Airy.

“While editing this article we wanted to create a more inclusive page where individuals can acquire up to date and informative knowledge,” noted Aurora.

So the students got to work.

Taking initiative to correct self-identified gaps

After learning how to edit through Wiki Education’s resources, the group went about making changes. First, they added gender inclusive language throughout the article to better represent all parents. They showed the different forms that fertility care may take for same-sex couples and transgender parents. And they wrote of the unique challenges facing transgender expectant parents as they navigate insurance coverage. The students also changed the article’s main image (the one that appears on Google search results) to be more inclusive, having found a scientific image in the public domain to replace it with.

“Given the fact that we were taking a class on LGBTQ+ reproductive health at the time, we wanted to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ individuals accessing assisted reproductive technologies, especially IVF,” Airy continued. “This included changing gendered language to be more inclusive, adding information from emerging research, and dispelling commonly held misconceptions about LGBTQ+ reproductive health.”

“The main point I wanted readers to take away from the article was the future for assisted reproductive technologies and how ART is used not just for infertility, but it’s widely used for same-sex parents and other LGBTQ partners to create a family,” said Aurora. “It is so important to provide information regarding assisted reproductive technologies because we’re in a society where heterosexual reproduction is the large majority and there is a lack of representation for the LGBTQ community. I find it very frustrating when the LGBTQ community in particular gets marginalized and excluded from the reproductive conversation and the technologies aren’t as accessible. I believe that anyone who wants to have children should be able to, regardless of their identity.”

Because of the public-facing nature of the assignment, students feel a responsibility to get it right, no matter the topic. They also tend to feel empowered by the act of correcting information that will be consulted by so many. The IVF article gets 1,500 views every day. Since December when the students stopped editing, 233K readers have viewed their contributions. That’s an incredible impact.

Depending on how the instructor structures the assignment, students often have autonomy over what topic they’ll improve on Wikipedia. This allows them to bring their interests, career aspirations, and identity to their work, as well as connect it to their other studies.

“As a woman of color, I understand what it feels like to feel under and misrepresented, especially in the health field and in research,” Airy shared. “Since I personally do not identify with the LGBTQ+ community, I wanted to ensure that my contributions to the IVF page were as accurate as possible and worked to uplift instead of exclude or misinform.”

Learning research skills along the way

Information on Wikipedia related to health is subject to additional checks and balances when it comes to sourcing. Aurora, Airy, and their group were especially intentional about the research that they cited, making sure it was peer-reviewed and up-to-date.

“Writing for Wikipedia showed me how important it is to be an expert in the topic you are writing about. You have to not only source all your edits, but you also need to comb through the article and find what parts of the article you find incorrect and need to be changed,” Aurora said. “It also taught me the importance of looking at the sources and not believing everything you read. When you question information you read, you enable yourself to learn more about the topic. I’ve learned to question literature and research on my own before agreeing with the opinions of others. I will take this into my field of study by educating others on the inclusivity of ART and the high demand to discover new technologies.”

Plus, it’s rewarding to write for a resource we all use. “This was my first time making significant changes to a Wikipedia page,” said Airy. “It felt nice to be able to expand representation on such an important topic!”

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free assignment templates and resources that Wiki Education offers to instructors in the United States and Canada.

“I feel that I have a responsibility to try my best to produce a comprehensible and precise piece of information about my topic so that I would not mislead anyone into receiving false information,” Yik Tung shares.

He chose to improve the article about mainland China’s one-child policy.

“One child policy in China was especially intriguing to me because the policy did not take effect in Hong Kong, but it left a footprint on the families of many of my peers and friends from mainland China,” Yik Tung says. “They had experienced the effect of the policy, and most of them are the only child in the family. Therefore, one-child policy is a very unfamiliar topic to me that drives my curiosity, and I wish to contribute to the English readers by incorporating information I extracted from some resources and materials that are in Chinese.”

Yik Tung made several improvements, including contextualizing the policy against the legacy of the Cultural Revolution, the international political landscape, newly developing social science fields within China at the time, the role of natural scientists in making policy decisions, and government restrictions on pursuing population-related scientific research. He also added information about the public’s response to the policies.

“I wish to add some more complexity to the reasoning behind the implementation of the one-child policy. The economic necessity to decrease new births in China was the most cited reason that people relied upon to justify the policy. But different perspectives also argue against this reason, and some scholars outside China offered their different views towards the policy. I hoped to include these realizations in the Wikipedia article. Evidence exists from arguments in support of and contrary to the necessity to limit childbirth. Therefore, I want to highlight the fact that the one-child policy is never a simple topic that can be accounted for by the very few words and information on Wikipedia. I hope my edits in the article will help readers to further understand the topic, and other knowledgeable people could also step in to improve the article as well.”

The beauty of writing for Wikipedia is that it allows for the very interdisciplinary approach Yik Tung took in representing one topic. Students can take the project in many directions, learning to look for gaps in the existing information about the topic and seek answers in peer-reviewed sources to fill them. As a multilingual student, Yik Tung brought the invaluable ability to draw from an even greater diversity of sources.

“Since I can also read Chinese, I have the chance to read the Chinese version of the one-child policy Wikipedia article. The article appears in much less in length, shows a different piece of information, and cites different sources. One example is that the Chinese version of the article was able to track the Chinese top leader’s decisions regarding the one-child policy during the period as such information was more approachable to Chinese scholars and sources. Such drastic differences between the information from different versions of the article remind me of the importance of perspectives. In this case, language is the main driver of the difference in perspectives.”

Yik Tung was able to help build the bridge between these different language versions, providing value on both sides. And he gained some important skills through the process.

“This Wikipedia assignment helped me to write articles in an informative and concise style. In my other academic works such as history essays, I always have an impulse to use flowery language, which sometimes sacrifices my ability to articulate my statement as I spent more time using complex words and phrases. I realize that precision in formulating and conveying ideas is more important. The writing process also forces me to constantly check my citations and avoid plagiarism. With numerous pieces of information at hand, it is very easy to plagiarize someone else’s work without knowing so. As a result, I spent more time making sure that I am citing and giving credit to others appropriately. Despite the huge amount of time I spent on this, I believe it is meaningful in the way that I now have a good habit of checking for plagiarism.”

Since he improved content, the article has been read more than 466K times by Wikipedia readers. And there was a noticeable upturn in readership this January when China announced its first population decline since the 1960s. Inadvertently, Yik Tung took part in this conversation by providing well-sourced context on one of the most trusted sources of online information out there.

Inviting students to write for Wikipedia as an assignment can provide great value to both the site and the classroom. Students make the assignment their own, finding inspiration in their topic and contributing to the encyclopedia in ways that draw upon their identities, areas of study, and personal interests. To learn more about incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course of any discipline, visit teach.wikiedu.org.

Courtney, Mary, and Rachael each began researching a particular animal whose Wikipedia article they would improve by the end of the term. Courtney chose the African bush elephant, Mary the meerkat, and Rachael the mountain bluebird. To update the corresponding articles on Wikipedia, they had to understand the current scientific consensus on the animal’s survival and adaptation strategies. Into the literature they went!

“My experience with the Wikipedia assignment has helped me to be able to read a scientific article and not get lost in what the article is discussing but rather understand what the article is addressing and why,” Rachael shares.

Grasping this greater context is what the Wikipedia assignment is all about. How does one topic relate to another? What does the field at large say? What’s missing on Wikipedia?

“You must make sure that the information you are placing together is accurate and concise,” Courtney adds. “This assignment taught me the importance of fully understanding what you are reading. If you don’t understand something, you’re more than likely going to misinterpret it.”

What was missing from Wikipedia?

Once students have a deep enough understanding of their topic, they can begin to evaluate Wikipedia’s coverage of it and discover gaps to fill.

“There were considerable gaps in the African bush elephant article,” Courtney says. “There was a lot of information missing pertaining to its behavior and adaptations. I was very surprised by this because Wikipedia articles pertaining to animals usually have copious amounts of information on them.” So Courtney added a whole section on how the elephants regulate their body temperature.

Mary, on the other hand, saw that she could expand information related to the threats that meerkats face. “The threats and conservation section noted that a lack of rainfall was the only major threat facing meerkats; however, a quick survey of the scientific literature reveals that heat waves associated with climate change have a significant negative impact on meerkat health and survival.” So she added that.

Rachael noticed omissions in the article about the mountain bluebird, too. While the article talked about how deforestation and agriculture affect populations, other human-caused factors weren’t there.

“Deforestation and agricultural practices are most likely to be mentioned as human caused factors resulting in the decline of bird populations,” says Rachael. “I wanted to add insight on other types of human impacts on mountain bluebird populations. I hope that readers will understand that the two causes mentioned above are not the only ways that humans can affect mountain bluebird populations and that when working to conserve a species, even factors that are not normally mentioned should be considered.”

Bolstering student scientific literacy and career relevant skills

The students not only grasped the scientific consensus around their topic, they also practiced distilling that information for a general audience. All three students connected these skills to a future career when discussing the benefits of the assignment.

“When writing articles in Wikipedia, the author should be able to critically evaluate scientific literature and restate the main theses clearly for a general audience,” Mary notes. “These skills are applicable to many future careers in science, including public outreach, consulting, and education.”

Rachael, a biological sciences major hoping to pursue a career in the field of medicine, adds:

“Writing this Wikipedia article has taught me to be organized, concise, and short in my writing. This will be very helpful to me as I continue my career because applications, summaries, and research papers all call upon these skills. In order for me to be successful in my career, I must be able to do these three things correctly.”

Courtney also plans to apply these new skills to her career, which she’s pursuing now that she has graduated with a biological sciences degree and a pre-med concentration. “This assignment also taught me how to synthesize pages of information into a concise matter. As a future physician, I may have to present findings to patients or colleagues. To get my point across, I need to make sure that I state the ‘meat’ or main ideas without being wordy.”

Impacting public perception

When writing for Wikipedia, students have a lot of power to impact how the public sees their topic, and they take great responsibility in the task. Many people read these particular articles every day: 150 visits a day for the mountain bluebird article, 1,000 for the African bush elephant, and 1,300 for the meerkat. That means that since November, 16K have read Rachael’s work, 170K have read Courtney’s work, and 183K people have read Mary’s work.

“Since the African bush elephant page has such a high volume of visitors, I wanted to make sure that what I added would be valuable to the page,” Courtney shares. “I also wanted to avoid being repetitive but stayed concise and accurate. I hope that readers will gain more insight about this animal and perform additional research. I also wanted readers to look at the sources linked in the paragraph to get a full grasp on the concept of just how beneficial these skin folds are.”

“I wanted to ensure that the article was up to date with the latest research on the threats facing meerkat conservation,” Mary adds. “I hope readers that may be casually seeking information about this charismatic species will gain an understanding of the far-reaching, and perhaps unexpected, impacts of climate change.”

Sharing science outside the academy

“I do think it is important to communicate science through Wikipedia because Wikipedia is a resource that everyone can have access to, it is easy to use, and most importantly, it is free,” says Rachael. “If someone wants to be educated about a particular topic, then they should be able to do so, and Wikipedia is a great resource for that.”

Mary agrees that Wikipedia is an important avenue for science communication. “Wikipedia is often the first stop when seeking information online, and as scientific literacy is unfortunately a low priority in many American educational systems, Wikipedia articles provide a unique opportunity to present science to curious readers in an accessible, non-intimidating format.”

“Before doing deep research people usually perform a quick Google search on a topic,” Courtney also notes. “Wikipedia is one of the top websites that pop up. When you skim a Wikipedia article, you can see what the key points are to a specific topic. Most of the time, these key points are hyperlinked to strong sources. In addition, Wikipedia articles may introduce scientific topics that readers are not aware of. After viewing the article, one can perform additional research and gain even more knowledge on a scientific topic.”

Gratitude for the Wikipedia assignment

“My professor at LSU, Dr. Christine Lattin, dedicated a lot of time and effort to making the Wikipedia project a success,” says Mary. “Through this project, we learned how to locate relevant scientific research, analyze scholarly articles, and communicate our findings effectively.”

“This assignment really changed my perspective on Wikipedia,” Courtney notes. “When I was in grade school, my teachers always taught us to avoid Wikipedia because ‘anyone can type anything they want.’ I learned very quickly that it’s very difficult to do this on Wikipedia. There are so many steps and editors involved in a simple post to avoid things like this from happening. I really would like to thank my teacher Dr. Christine Lattin for giving our class this assignment.”

“Before taking Dr. Lattin’s class, scientific articles were intimidating to me,” says Rachael. “After the exercises she had us do in class of breaking down these articles into digestible parts, I gained a better understanding of how to identify what the authors were addressing and why. I sincerely want to thank Dr. Lattin for this assignment and for the skills I have acquired in her class because I now have a spring in my step towards approaching scientific articles and analyzing them.”

Learn more about incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course of any discipline at teach.wikiedu.org.

Here are some recent stories of the incredible work that students and experts have accomplished in our programs. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to celebrate these achievements and continue to carry this work forward.

Amplifying the voices of Indigenous women on Wikipedia

Women are often the de facto leaders in community change, social movements, and political groundswells. So why are only 19% of Wikipedia biographies about them? That’s what Natchee Barnd set out to correct in our recent Women in Red Wiki Scholars course. He then went on to implement a Wikipedia writing assignment into his course at Oregon State University, inviting students to take on a similar mission. Read more…

Celebrating role models as a way to invite young women into STEM fields 

When women are exposed to women role models in science, they are more likely to pursue STEM careers and feel a greater sense of belonging in those fields–a key indicator for career longevity. Reading just one story of a woman in a successful career makes a difference for the confidence and performance of undergraduates in the same field. So imagine 100,000 people reading that same story. What could that do for inequity in STEM at large? You may ask, how could anyone (beyond the rare celebrity scientist) reasonably get that much exposure? Wikipedia biographies are one way to be impactful in this area. Read more…

Recognizing the legacies of LGBTQ+ pioneers

In celebration of Pride Month, Wiki Education recruited participants, particularly faculty and graduate students in the LGBTQ+ community, for a Wiki Scholars course focused on expanding Wikipedia’s coverage of notable LGBTQ+ people. Thanks to the dedication of the people in this course, Ruth Bleier has a more detailed biography that tells the story of her research of gender biases in biology. And Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender government official to hold an office requiring a Senate confirmation, also has a more comprehensive biography. Not only did participants bolster the stories and experiences of underrepresented people in the course, but they also found great meaning in the work itself. Read more… 

Counteracting inequities in STEM & recognizing womens’ achievements in real time

For a scientist, the typical avenues of exposure are important for career advancement, but they’re unlikely to reach an audience of thousands like Wikipedia does. A Wikipedia biography recognizes a scientist’s contributions in real time. It surfaces her expertise to journalists and panel organizers, humanizes her beyond her CV or university profile, and shows young people interested in STEM what career paths are possible for them. Considering women and people of color are chosen less often for speaking opportunities, are contacted less often by journalists, and aren’t recognized for their work in equal measure to white male peers, exposure on Wikipedia can help turn the tides. Through Wiki Education’s courses, American Physical Society (APS) members are crediting historically “hidden figures” in STEM for their accomplishments, discoveries, and expertise. APS Wiki Scientists are also writing these Wikipedia biographies before pivotal career moments, ensuring the public has the full picture when a scientist is in the spotlight. Read more about our partnership with APS… 

To learn more about Wiki Education’s impact, visit wikiedu.org/impact. If you’re interested in implementing a Wikipedia writing assignment in your classroom, visit teach.wikiedu.org. And to learn more about our Wikipedia editing courses, visit learn.wikiedu.org.