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Wikipedia in the Classroom

Why Wikipedia?

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia is a ubiquitous presence on the modern information landscape. Student use of Wikipedia – once forbidden or barely tolerated – has come to be seen as having a place, even if only a carefully circumscribed one, as an information source for many kinds of student learning.

In addition, Wikipedia editing has proven to be useful in academic courses, at BU and elsewhere. It gives students the opportunity to contribute to public knowledge, to see their contributions have exposure and impact beyond the classroom, and to gain an understanding of how information is produced and disseminated.

Wikipedia editing can serve as a form of service learning and lead to new informal communities of interest on campus.

As part of their focus on information literacy, the BU Libraries have worked with BU faculty and students to explore the role of Wikipedia in higher education.

This guide provides resources about the use of Wikipedia at BU, including examples of BU Faculty, who have used Wikipedia in the classroom, plus resources and opportunities to learn more. 

Not sure where to start? Please contact Ken, Laura, or Rachel!

Photo: Wikimedia Foundation / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Librarian

Contact Us

Rachel Dwyer
Assistant Head, African Studies Library
rdwyer@bu.edu

Laura Jenemann
Communication, Film, & Media Librarian
ljeneman@bu.edu

Ken Liss
Head of Liaison & Instruction Services
kliss@bu.edu