"TEACHING TABLES II:" They Use It (and So Do You): Helping Students Critique Wikipedia and Other Online Sources

Abstract

This teaching table proposal is based on data that I have collected in my classes regarding Wikipedia use. I will present this information briefly and then detail a short research assignment that I have used to help students critique online sources. I would then look forward to hearing other professorsââ¬â¢ opinions on the topic.

The assignment involves the following steps by students:
1. the selection of a familiar topic (to the student that is)
2. the comparison of Wikipediaââ¬â¢s entry on the subject to another source
3. the analysis of the ââ¬Ådiscussionââ¬Â tab attached to the Wikipedia entry
a. students are ask to characterize the disagreements found on this page
4. the comparison, using the ââ¬Åhistoryââ¬Â tab, of the first entry on the topic to the most recent version
5. the creation of a student edit or addition to the Wikipedia entry

While these steps are very easy for todayââ¬â¢s computer-savvy students to take, few have actually investigated how information is presented and edited on Wikipedia. Understanding the process contributes, I believe, to the development of a healthy skepticism regarding oneââ¬â¢s sources.