On Using Wikipedia

Congratulations to Dr. Nicola Pratt and her postgraduate politics students at the University of East Anglia who are using Wikipedia in an original and exciting way.

The students edit Wikipedia articles and then research and create new articles as part of their studies. In preparing for weekly seminars the students are expected to refine exisitng Wikipedia articles. After eight weeks editing experience the students submit their own article to Wikipedia.

This activity works at so many levels. I have heard and read of students creating and contributing to class wikis, but this project encourages students to engage in real scholarship, resulting in new information that adds to the sum of global knowledge.

These students will experience writing for a purpose for a specific audience and will develop critical thinking skills. Their research grounded in real world issues encourages collaboration not only with their peers but also with the world wide community of Wikipedia users. Crucially their work which is assessed by the University, is also subject to the critical review of other users of Wikipedia.

It seems that Dr. Pratt would like to extend her pilot scheme to include undergraduates. This would be a worthwhile extension of the project and could be employed in other subject disciplines. Engaging undergrads in the creation of knowledge, instead of providing them with facts could offer us many opportunities to encourage reflection, deep learning and increased student engagement.

While researching this entry I discovered that Wikipedia actively encourages school and university projects, and provides guidance, templates and links to several other projects.

Interesting reading!

Seymour Papert

I was saddened to read of Seymour Papert's accident.

In my previous life, I was fortunate enough to be able to introduce Papert's Logo to many of my pupils. The effect it had on their mathematical and logical thinking was astounding. I first used it on the BBC computer (remember them?) and then on the RM Nimbus with the marvelous turtle.

It was such a shame that we only had one computer between thirty children, all they could do was encounter the programme, if only they could have spent more time exploring the world through Logo.

I know that children would gain far more from spending time creating mathematical figures in the Logo environment than they do from being forced to watch PowerPoint presentations of mathematical shapes on interactive white boards.

More information about Papert can be found here.
Who would have believed all those year ago that the turtle would have evolved into Lego's Mindstorms.

Intelligent Design indeed.