Jim Cotner is reshaping his approach to science education by requiring his students to contribute evidence-based text to new and existing Wikipedia pages. This year alone, his students added content to 47 Wikipedia articles — totaling 55,000 words, 429 references, and nearly 2 million views.
“I used to have students write papers and give presentations. But I always wanted to do something that had more of a local or global impact,” says Cotner. “One of the things I like about Wikipedia is that it's open to everybody globally. We are spoiled at University of Minnesota because we have such incredible scientific resources. But a lot of the world doesn't have that.”
His curriculum changed eight years ago when he learned about Wikipedia’s education program, which partners with educators to provide training material and strict guidelines for student submissions. Not every submission made by participating students makes it through Wikipedia’s editorial gauntlet — a point that only adds to the program’s credibility.
“The writing that’s done for Wikipedia is very similar to the writing we expect all CBS students to be able to do. Objective, not opinionated, backed by data,” says Cotner. He notes that though Wikipedia has often faced scrutiny in the public education sphere, its content is held to high standards. Students are asked to cite peer-reviewed, primary scientific literature as their sources. If a submission doesn’t meet Wikipedia guidelines or resembles plagiarism, editors flag and remove it.
In Cotner’s biogeochemical processes class, students have contributed to public knowledge about lakes, nitrogen cycling, microalgae, and more. He hopes his success could encourage other educators to integrate something similar into their classrooms. While a good fit for STEM courses, Wikipedia’s coverage is boundless and could stretch into history, art, sociology, and more.
Best of all, Cotner claims it adds valuable, real-life applications that stand the test of time. “I’ve run into students years after they took the class and they’ll often mention that their Wikipedia paragraph is still up there,” he says. “It’s a point of pride.” — Adara Taylor