Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Williams College/Contemporary African Politics (Spring 2022)
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- Course name
- Contemporary African Politics
- Institution
- Williams College
- Instructor
- Elizabeth Wellman
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Political Science
- Course dates
- 2022-02-04 00:00:00 UTC – 2022-05-20 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 25
Course Description: This course is an introduction to the contemporary politics of Africa, with the aim of sparking a life-long interest in the affairs of the region. Comprised of nearly 50 countries and home to over 1 billion people, sub-Saharan Africa is remarkable in its diversity, particularly in regards to a number of outcomes central to the study of political science: how do institutions of the past shape current dynamics of political competition and economic growth? Why are some countries stable democracies while others struggle with military coups or authoritarian rule? What sparks political violence and how can countries emerge from conflict? Our focus is both contemporary and comparative, organized thematically around common political experiences and attributes across the region. We begin with the legacies of colonialism, the slave trade, and the politics of liberation. We then interrogate dynamics central to political life in Africa over the 60 years since independence: the role of ethnic diversity in shaping competition, the prominence of patronage politics, and the evolution of elections. We next assess major dimensions that have historically shaped the study of African politics, including conflict and violence, economic development, and foreign aid. The final section takes a comparative approach to some of the most pressing issues in Africa today: health crises, migration and mobility, technological revolution, climate change, and the emerging power of women and youth.
Students will be asked to expand and/or create a wikipedia page related to a political event or topic in an African country underrepresented in Wikipedia (for systemic biases in wikipedia in political science and African politics, see Michelitch and Ackerly, forthcoming and Michelitch and Wilfahrt, fortcoming). They will be supported by the Williams library as well as engage in peer review to produce notable, well-cited contributions to help address knowledge gaps on Wikipedia.
Timeline
Week 3
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 22 February 2022 | Friday, 25 February 2022
- 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
-
- Tuesday, 1 March 2022 | Friday, 4 March 2022
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
- In class - Discussion
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 8 March 2022 | Friday, 11 March 2022
- Assignment - Review the rules for health topics
- Assignment - Choose possible topics
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 6
- In class - Discussion
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 15 March 2022 | Friday, 18 March 2022
- Assignment - Add to an article
- Assignment - Finalize your topic and find sources
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 5 April 2022 | Friday, 8 April 2022
- Assignment - Drafting your article
Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- In class - Discussion
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 12 April 2022 | Friday, 15 April 2022
- Assignment - Peer Review Two Articles
- 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 9
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 19 April 2022 | Friday, 22 April 2022
- In class - 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 10
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 26 April 2022 | Friday, 29 April 2022
- In class - 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!
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
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 11
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 3 May 2022 | Friday, 6 May 2022
- 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!
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 10 May 2022 | Friday, 13 May 2022
- In class - In Class Presentation
- Assignment - Reflective Essay