Wikipedia:Canada Education Program/MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

This document serves as a record of understanding among the course instructor and the Wikipedia volunteers ("Wikipedia Ambassadors"), to define the roles and responsibilities of each party as they work with Wikipedia as a teaching and learning tool. The document establishes a framework of cooperation, in order to produce the greatest benefits for instructors, students, and Wikipedia Ambassadors. The points outlined below allow each party to understand not only what is expected of him/her, but also what s/he can expect from others in the project.

Overview

The purpose of the Wikipedia Global Education Program is to support instructors in running Wikipedia-editing assignments in class. The program aims to create an effective learning environment for students, while also strengthening the content and community of Wikipedia.

The "pod" is the core unit of the program; each "pod" consists of:

• the course instructor,
• the Wikipedia Campus Ambassador(s) supporting the course, and
• the Wikipedia Online Ambassador(s) supporting the course.

These three parties have specific responsibilities toward one another, which are outlined below.

Preparation

The instructor and the Campus Ambassador[s] will communicate before classes begin to plan out the Wikipedia portion of the class and clarify mutual expectations. The professor is the person making all final decisions regarding course plans; the Campus Ambassadors can provide advice and feedback based on their knowledge of Wikipedia and familiarity with how Wikipedia assignments have worked in the past.

• Instructor's preparation responsibilities:
  • Meet with the course' Campus Ambassador(s) before classes begin to go over class objectives, discuss plans, and clarify mutual expectations.
  • Provide the course syllabus and a short description of the course to the Campus Ambassador(s).

• Campus Ambassadors' preparation responsibilities:
  • Actively participate in the Campus Ambassador training provided by the Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Browse through the educational materials, resources, and links provided by the Wikimedia Foundation to familiarize oneself with how Wikipedia assignments have worked in the past.
  • Meet with the course instructor and any other Campus Ambassador(s) paired up with the course before classes begin to go over class objectives, discuss plans, and clarify mutual expectations.
  • Make sure the course page (as described below, see section "Course page") is created on Wikipedia.

• Online Ambassadors' preparation responsibilities:
  • Browse through the educational materials, resources, and links provided by the Wikimedia Foundation to familiarize oneself with how Wikipedia assignments have worked in the past.
  • Familiarize oneself with the content of the course page (as described below, see section "Course page") before classes begin to get an overview of the Wikipedia assignment(s) as well as the timeline and due dates for the Wikipedia assignment(s), as provided by the instructor.

Support provided by the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation will provide a variety of support resources in the Wikipedia Global Education Program to help professors effectively use Wikipedia as a teaching tool and to help students learn about Wikipedia. This support will come in various forms, including Wikipedia Ambassadors and online and printed materials. The Wikimedia Foundation can also provide high-quality resources and tips on assignment design, based on over a year of experience working with various professors on using Wikipedia as a teaching tool.

Communication

Pod members will provide contact information to each other, inform one another of preferred methods of contact, and decide on a communication plan for the course (which may include regular meetings [in person or virtual], email updates, or whatever else the pod decides is effective).

• Education Program Advisor, Canada's communication responsibilities:
  • Maintain frequent contact with each pod, and respond to pod members' questions/comments quickly.
  • Check in with Campus Ambassadors before and during the academic term.

• Instructor's communication responsibilities:
  • Before classes begin, explain to Ambassadors the goals of the course and the objectives for the planned assignment: what skills will students build, what subject matter(s) should they master, what will students learn (and not learn) about Wikipedia, and what Wikipedia contributions are students expected to make? Also, when and how often will the Campus Ambassador be expected to do in-class presentations and/or labs/workshops, how much time will they have for these, and what are the main objectives for these? What shape will student-Ambassador interactions take outside of lecture time? If a student has a question related to Wikipedia, how should they communicate with the Campus Ambassador(s) about it? What form will Ambassador-instructor communication take throughout the academic term?
  • Communicate any changes to the syllabus during the academic term.
  • Inform the Campus Ambassador whenever new students sign up or students leave the course.
  • Contact the Education Program Advisor, Canada if any problems arise with members of the pod.

• Campus Ambassadors' communication responsibilities:
  • Send three short written reports to the Wikipedia Ambassadors mailing list throughout the academic term:
    • Report 1, to be sent after your first in-class Wikipedia presentation/session: describe how the session went, students' reactions to the Wikipedia assignment and to the session, and general information about what the Wikipedia assignment will look like in the class
    • Report 2, to be sent at the midpoint of the academic term: describe how the class is doing (overall) with regards to the Wikipedia assignment, what students are liking about the assignment and what challenges they face, what the professor is liking and disliking, and general learning points from the first half of the academic term
    • Report 3, to be sent at the end of academic term: describe what students have accomplished over the academic term (overall), how students have changed/progressed over the academic term as a result of the Wikipedia assignment, and general learning points from the academic term
    • NOTE: Feel free to add additional information not mentioned above to these reports
  • Participate in check-in's with the Education Program Advisor, Canada before and during the academic term.
  • Respond to pod members' questions/comments quickly.

• Online Ambassadors' communication responsibilities:
  • Send monthly updates to the Education Program Advisor, Canada and (if needed) the instructor about students' overall on-wiki progress. Send updates more frequently if students' on-wiki activities are particularly busy or in need of attention.
  • Report to the rest of the pod if problems arise with students, or with students' interactions with other editors.
  • Respond to pod members' questions/comments quickly.

Assignment design

Courses participating in the Wikipedia Global Education Program will assign students to make significant Wikipedia contributions. The assignment will be planned out, and described on the course page (see below), before the course begins. The sample syllabus and assignment design resources provided by the Wikimedia Foundation can be adapted to form the basis of the assignment, but need not be. Instructors wishing to receive the "Wikipedia Teaching Fellow" designation will ensure the assignment meets the Teaching Fellowship requirements.

Designing the Wikipedia assignment and making final calls about the assignment is the responsibility of the instructor, although involving Campus Ambassadors in the process of assignment design is strongly recommended. Regional Ambassadors will verify that assignments in Wikipedia Teaching Fellows' courses meet the Fellowship requirements.

Course page

Each Campus Ambassador must set up a course page on Wikipedia; the course page will include a brief description of the course, an overview of the Wikipedia assignment(s) in the course, and a detailed timeline indicating the milestones and due dates for the Wikipedia assignment(s), provided by the instructor.

The instructor will ensure that each student adds his/her Wikipedia username to the course page at the beginning of the semester. S/he must also ensure that students list the articles that they are working on. The course page is the Wikipedia hub for the class; students will use its discussion page to ask Wikipedia-related questions, and relevant resources and tools will be listed there.

Assignment implementation

The design of the assignment is ultimately the decision of the instructor, as is evaluation/grading of student work. The Wikipedia Ambassadors' role is to advise the instructor during the design and implementation process. Other responsibilities of the Ambassadors include:

• Campus Ambassadors:
  • Teach the basics of editing Wikipedia to the class(es) they are supporting.
  • Explain the norms of Wikipedia community culture and present cultural best practices to students.
  • Support students as they contribute to Wikipedia articles, and answer students' Wikipedia-related questions, in-person and/or virtually.

• Online Ambassadors:
  • Support students as they contribute to Wikipedia articles.
  • Help students communicate effectively on wiki, model online etiquette, and (as much as possible) protect students from disruptive Wikipedia editors.
  • (Optionally) Answer student questions on the course page's discussion page and on the Ambassador's IRC channel (chatroom).
  • Help the pod, or individual students, connect with active Wikipedia editors who contribute to related topics who may be able to provide content feedback on student work.

Please sign...

When you're done reading the information above, please click on the link below to go to a page where you can sign the document. By signing this document, you recognize that members of the pod will work as a team to achieve the same goals. All pod members recognize that class structure, assignment design, and grading are ultimately the instructor's responsibility and decision. All participants will treat each other, students, and other members of the Wikipedia community with respect.