Case study

From knowledge consumer to knowledge contributor

At Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, Senior Lecturer Dr Claire Timperley has successfully incorporated active engagement with Wikipedia into her political science course.

OPEN CASE STUDY

Background

Wikipedia is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world, and content from the platform goes on to be used across the internet. Research has found that due to the communal peer-review culture, Wikipedia tends to be more reliable than traditional encyclopedias such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, with the majority of users providing high quality contributions. Despite this, students are often discouraged from engaging with the platform – but that’s no longer the case at Victoria University.

There is bias present in the coverage of topics on Wikipedia; articles on subjects related to women and the Global South are underrepresented. The development of this assignment was brought about by a desire to diversify the current New Zealand politics curriculum being delivered, while also supporting undergraduate students to develop their academic research skills.

Assignment design

The design of this assignment drew from a growing body of research on how Wikipedia can be an important resource and tool for teaching and learning in tertiary education. It has been argued that rather than dismissing Wikipedia as a resource or discouraging its use, more can be gained from analysing and contributing to the platform, and it has particular value for teaching controversial issues. Research has shown that Wikipedia is in fact used by both students and academics.

In this assignment, students are required to engage with Wikipedia through multiple avenues, from reviewing and critiquing content to eventually contributing to the encyclopedia themselves. Students begin by selecting a topic related to New Zealand politics, and then examining an article on that topic for any gaps in information, representation, or references. A literature review is undertaken to identify reliable sources, how these are presented in the Wikipedia article, and what changes can be made to improve the article.

Assignment structure

The assignment is divided into four sections, with each focused on developing the skills needed to review and edit Wikipedia articles.

Literature review: Students begin by brainstorming reliable sources for information on New Zealand politics, and compare this with the related coverage on Wikipedia. Each student identifies a topic, examining how the content reflects, or excludes, the identified sources.
Article editing: After identifying gaps in their chosen topic, students then make contributions to the article. Assessment is based on how well they can critically assess their contributions.
Reflective essay: Students then reflect on the assignment, discussing how content is presented on Wikipedia, their experience in contributing, and the potential outcomes. Students comment on the skills they have developed or improved, and any challenges they faced along the way.
Attendance: As group discussion and collaboration is a key part of this assignment, assessment also includes participation in these workshops.

Outcomes

Through this assignment, students gained improved research skills and deeper subject understanding, supported by the positive outcomes seen in their work and feedback.

Increased diversity in the topics students chose to research, including more coverage of less-well researched topics such as policy decisions affecting minorities and indigenous politics.
Research papers relied more on primary sources and original research than in previous years, suggesting that students had developed a better understanding of how source quality affects the reliability of information.
Students reported that they now had a better understanding of how Wikipedia works, where it can have limitations, and how they can best engage with the platform.

These outcomes will translate into skills and abilities that will set students up for success through their studies and future career.

Critical analysis is an increasingly important skillset, particularly as people use AI models more frequently to access knowledge. Students will develop their awareness of where information is sourced, and how that impacts reliability. Improved research and fact-checking techniques are reflected in assignments across subjects.
Clear communication skills are gained from editing — as the worlds’ most-read reference work, Wikipedia content needs to be easy for all to understand. Translating complex information into plain language is an ability that benefits everyone.
Improved digital literacy results from students’ engagement with Wikipedia and related platforms. Students will gain practical digital skills from editing articles, which can be developed further through managing datasets and creating tools.
Future opportunities are likely to come from involvement with this large global project. Wikipedia can be a stepping stone into careers in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector. Whatever their interests or areas of study, Wikipedia editing will help students stand out when beginning their careers.

Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand

Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation, the international organisation which supports Wikipedia and related platforms.

As an independent, not-for-profit organisation and registered charity, we support our members, the broader community and partner organisations to contribute to Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource and other Wikimedia Foundation projects through events, training and partnerships.

We welcome opportunities to partner with organisations across the country that share our commitment to making knowledge more open, accessible, and connected. Through initiatives such as Wikimedian in Residence placements, we’ve helped organisations use Wikimedia platforms to bring Aotearoa New Zealand’s collections, research, and stories to the world. Find out more at wikimedia.nz/partner-with-us or contact info@wikimedia.nz.