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- Course name
- Introductory Sociology
- Institution
- Virginia Tech
- Instructor
- Sarah Ovink
- Wikipedia Expert
- Shalor (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Sociology
- Course dates
- 2019-01-23 00:00:00 UTC – 2019-05-15 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 75
The goal of Introductory Sociology is to provide students with a broad overview of the discipline of sociology. By the end of the class, students should be able to:
- explain the origin and development of sociology as a discipline, and to distinguish its purpose from those of other social science and humanities disciplinary traditions
- apply social science theories and concepts to improve understanding of both individual development and social institutions
- analyze empirical data and secondary sources to illustrate, challenge, or complicate existing social science theories
- develop and demonstrate skills for respectful interaction, empathy for others, and civic responsibility via participation in class discussions and activities
Students will take 3 required exams, and may complete a Wikipedia assignment, working in pairs, instead of taking a final (4th) cumulative exam. Students must decide whether to take the 4th exam or complete the Wikipedia assignment by the end of Week 2 (2/1/19).
Timeline
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 6 February 2019
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 11 February 2019 | Wednesday, 13 February 2019
- In class - Discussion
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 18 February 2019 | Wednesday, 20 February 2019
- Assignment - Exercise
- In class - Discussion
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 25 February 2019 | Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 4 March 2019 | Wednesday, 6 March 2019
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 18 March 2019 | Wednesday, 20 March 2019
- Assignment - Peer review an article
- In class - Discussion
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 25 March 2019 | Wednesday, 27 March 2019
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
- Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 1 April 2019 | Wednesday, 3 April 2019
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 10 April 2019
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Exercise
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 15 April 2019 | Wednesday, 17 April 2019
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 22 April 2019 | Wednesday, 24 April 2019
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 29 April 2019 | Wednesday, 1 May 2019
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.