Technobabbles I try to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Don't be fooled.

Interesting: Wikipedia Became a Class Assignment

Most college professors cringe at the thought of their students using Wikipedia for anything class-related. Many colleges and universities have even gone so far as to have guidelines for writing papers that forbid citing Wikipedia. Whether the guidelines are in writing as official school policy or passed on informally by professors (via vocal or written communication on introductory days), they are the norm today. But one professor at the University of Washington-Bothell, Martha Groom, turned Wikipedia into an assignment for her undergraduates.

A teacher of environmental history, she requires at the end of the semester not a term paper, but an original Wikipedia article (or a major improvement of an existing one). The experiment has been "transformative" for her students, and their writing quality on Wikipedia is over and above standard undergraduate research papers.

Supposedly, some editors "were a little rude," she said, referring to anonymous users (likely those despicable vandals). The users that were not rude helped the students gain experience in the real world of peer-reviewed writing.

I really hope my college professors do this...

Most college professors cringe at the thought of their students using Wikipedia for anything class-related. Many colleges and universities have even gone so far as to have guidelines for writing papers that forbid citing Wikipedia. Whether the guidelines are in writing as official school policy or passed on informally by professors (via vocal or written communication on introductory days), they are the norm today. But one professor at the University of Washington-Bothell, Martha Groom, turned Wikipedia into an assignment for her undergraduates. A teacher of environmental history, she requires at the end of the semester not a term paper, but an original Wikipedia article (or a major improvement of an existing one). The experiment has been "transformative" for her students, and their writing quality on Wikipedia is over and above standard undergraduate research papers. Supposedly, some editors "were a little rude," she said, referring to anonymous users (likely those despicable vandals). The users that were not rude helped the students gain experience in the real world of peer-reviewed writing. I really hope my college professors do this...