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- Course name
- Ethics for a Free World
- Institution
- CSUCI
- Instructor
- Julia Balén
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Freeddom and Justice Studies/Philosophy
- Course dates
- 2016-08-31 00:00:00 UTC – 2016-12-14 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 30
Students will explore concepts and practices of ethics, freedom, and justice by comparing how these have been theorized and practiced in relationship to each other across at least two times periods and cultures. Starting from a foundation in philosophy and developing an interdisciplinary lens, this class examines these foundational concepts and practices especially as engaged across the fields of identity and civil rights-based studies (including religious, ethnic, women’s, gender, sexuality, and disability studies, etc.)
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 31 August 2016
- In class - Introduction to class
Welcome to Ethics for a Free World! In our first class we will explore our current understandings of ethics in our lives and begin what will be a semester-long discussion of how freedom, justice, and ethics relate to each other and are enacted in our daily lives as well as in our local, national, and international institutions and practices. Our first day will be action packed. So come prepared to engage!
- In class - Introduction to our Wikipedia project
Welcome to our Wikipedia project's course timeline. This schedule will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course.
This schedule breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of basic steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.
Our course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page (we will go over what this is) for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.
To get started, please review the following handouts:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - WP
- Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
- In class - NOTE ON GRADING
All grading percentages listed on this site are approximations due to limitations of this formatting. See the course website and grading on Blackboard for a more complete and accurate breakdown.
Week 2
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 7 September 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
Finish reading theFrodeman article, "Philosophy Dedisciplined" using the active reading that we practiced in class. What is his primary argument and on what basis does he he claim this? Consider each part of his argument in relationship to the primary argument.
Study the WP page on Ethics. Reflect in your weekly blog on what you find. What do you notice about voice and perspective? How is the entry structured? Compare it to a few other related WP pages. What do you notice about style? What is missing?
- Assignment - WP
- Critique an article
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll analyze and evaluate the Wikipedia article on Ethics, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- Evaluate the article by WP standards. Consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
- Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Choose at least 2 questions relevant to the article you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Jami (Wiki Ed) (talk) 21:37, 18 January 2017 (UTC).
You will be graded on your evaluation of the article and comprehension of WP standards.
- Assignment - Blog
Before class you will develop a blog that accomplishes two tasks:
- analyzing and synthesizing the readings--including those on WP
- and describing and analyzing your experiences on WP
Go to our shared class folder in Google Docs to find a model and the directions for this assignment.
Following the directions in the folder, create at least one blog entry each week on our readings using the reflection questions posted under the readings and journal about your Wikipedia assignment.
- In class - Discussion of readings
Come to class prepared to discuss and engage with major concepts, terminology, and any questions that you have or concepts that you did not understand. We will begin to map our understanding of ethics in class.
- In class - WP Discussion
- What's a content gap?
Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.
- Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
- What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
- Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
- What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?
- Milestones
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 14 September 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Look up “freedom” and “justice” in Wikipedia. Study them closely and analyze their content and structure in your journal using the processes of active reading and analysis that we have practiced in class. Remember that to analyze means to look at the parts in relationship to the whole. Consider how encyclopedia entries are different from scholarly articles such as Frodeman's.
After this exercise, read first Emagalit's "Contemporary African Philosophy" and Taiwo's "Exorcising Hegel's Ghost: Africa's Challenge to Philosophy“ available in our course readings.
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of of both “freedom” and “justice” as articulated in Wikipedia. How do these compare with your sense of them, discussions in class, or the way these terms are being used in current debates? Synthesize both Emagalit's and Taiwo's arguments and consider how their understandings might alter your sense of the terms freedom and justice.
Come prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your understanding of the readings in class.
- Assignment - WP
- Add to an article
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a citation to an article. There are two ways you can do this:
- Add 1-2 sentences to a course-related article on “freedom” and/or “justice,” and cite that statement to a reliable source, as you learned in the online training.
- The Citation Hunt tool shows unreferenced statements from articles. Search in Citation Hunt for “freedom” and/or “justice” for statements that require references. First, evaluate whether the statement in question is true! An uncited statement could just be lacking a reference or it could be inaccurate or misleading. Reliable sources on the subject will help you choose whether to add it or correct the statement.
- In class - Discussion of readings
Come to class prepared to discuss and engage with major concepts, terminology, and any questions that you have or concepts that you did not understand. We will begin to map our understanding of freedom and justice and their relationship to ethics in class.
From here on out I expect that you will know to come prepared, so I have not added this to the rest of the syllabus.
- In class - Q & A
Bring your questions or concerns about class, your assignments, the material. Let's make sure you are up to speed on all the technology and information
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 21 September 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Study both the Stanford Encyclopedia’sand the WP pages on Aristotle’s Ethics. (For reference you can find a copy of an English translation of Aristotle’s Ethics. While I encourage you to read this, it is not required.) Actively read the encyclopedia entries as we practiced in class.
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of ethics for Aristotle. Compare and contrast the two synopses for content and style.
- Analyze the meaning/content using the active reading we have practiced. Compare the WP entry with the Stanford Encyclopedia’s page on Aristotle's Ethics. How are they similar or different in content, style, assumed audience? How does the content relate to your understanding of ethics?
Be prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your understanding of the readings in class.
- In class - WP Discussion
- Thinking about sources and plagiarism
- Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
- What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
- What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
- What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
- In class - Workshop topics and sign in to Zotero
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 28 September 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Actively read Lindemann's, Holding and Letting Go, Chapter 3, “Second Persons: The Work of Identity Formation,” up to the section entitled “The Role of Language,” ~p 72 of the book, the top of page 9 in the pdf. (Please note that the page numbers of the pdf are different than those noted within the digital text/ebook as the page numbers from printed text.) Consider how Lindemann makes use of other philosophers’ work. (Mark the philosophers she references whose ideas interest you to prepare for next week's assignment.) How does her synthesis of Aristotle’s ethics compare to what you read last week?
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of her argument. On what basis does she make the claims that she does?
Be prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your understanding of the readings in class.
- Assignment - Research Log--Zotero
If you have not already done so, sign up for a Zotero account and log into our group following instructions from the email I sent inviting you to join. We will together develop a group library that we can all access for our shared research. In the process you will develop skills in researching that will serve you well in any studies or research work you may pursue.
Every item you research, every website, podcast, book, article, or artifact will be logged here and form the basis for your WP project. We will go over the process for this and annotating in class in prep for your WP project proposal.
- Assignment - WP
- Choose possible topics
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- Consider the topics of ethical importance that we have listed so far in class. If you are considering taking on a larger topic or one not yet covered on WP, invite classmates who have expressed similar interests.
- Choose 3–5 potential articles that you (or a team) can tackle, and post links to them on your Wikipedia user page. Note anyone you plan to work with by their wiki name. For articles that already exist, check the Talk page to see what other Wikipedians might be doing. Finally, present your choices to your instructor for feedback.
- Review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology.
- In class - Library Session
- Wednesday September 28th--meet in Broome 1756
Class will meet for our regular time in Broome 1756 and work there for the whole period. Our class library session will be from 1:30-3:00pm.
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 5 October 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Return to the Lindemann reading from last week and choose one of the other philosophers whose work Lindemann references. Find the text for the original reference, any WP reference to that scholar’s work, and one other scholarly reference. (For some of the more recent philosophers this may be more difficult to find, so choose one for whom you are able to find enough to compare and contrast. Ask me if you have any concerns about your choice and what you are finding.) Consider how Lindemann is making use of this philosopher’s work.
Also read the selection from the Campus Reading Celebration book: Make Your Home Among Strangers, pp 73-103, chapters 9-11. I encourage you to read the whole book and to take part in the celebration events. (I will add the link to the events here as soon as they are available.)
WRITE: In your reading journal synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of the work of the philosopher you have chosen to review. Also analyze the reading from Make Your Home Among Strangers in light of the development Lindemann's work outlines. How do the characters "hold" or "let go" of their own and others' identities?
Be prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
- Assignment - WP
- Finalize your topic / Find your sources / Submit proposal
- On the Students tab, assign your chosen topic to yourself.
- In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article and why this is appropriate and needed.
- Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page, too.
- Compile an annotated bibliography of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox.
- Check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
- In class - WP Discussion
- Thinking about Wikipedia
- What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
- What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
- On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
- If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 12 October 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Actively read the middle sections in Lindemann’s chapter from the section on “The Role of Language” up to the section on “Holding Identities and Letting Them Go.” (Mark the philosophers she references whose ideas interest you to prepare for next week's assignment.)
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of Lindemann’s argument. On what basis does she make the claims that she does?
Be prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 19 October 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Choose one of the other philosophers whose work Lindemann references in the section on “The Role of Language” up to the section on “Holding Identities and Letting Them Go” and find the original reference, any WP reference to that philosopher’s work, and one other scholarly reference.
WRITE: In your reading journal synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of the philosopher’s work.
Come prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
- Assignment - WP
- Draft your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Once I have approved your project (I will let you know by email), it's time to start writing.
Creating a new article?
- Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
- A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.
Improving an existing article?
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.
Keep reading, documenting and annotating in Zotero your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 26 October 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Finish the Lindemann chapter and choose one of the other philosophers whose work Lindemann references in this final section. Find the original reference, any WP reference to that philosopher’s work, and at least one other scholarly reference.
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of Lindemann’s argument. On what basis does she make the claims that she does? Also synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of the philosopher’s work. Consider how Lindemann makes use of this philosopher's work.
Come prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
- Assignment - WP
- Expand your draft
- Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column.
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 2 November 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Actively read all of Lindemann’s Chapter “Ordinary Identity Work.”
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of Lindemann’s argument. On what basis does she make the claims that she does?
Come prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!
- Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
- Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 9 November 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Choose one of the philosophers whose work Lindemann references in “Ordinary Identity Work” and find the original reference, any WP reference to that philosopher’s work, and at least one other scholarly reference about that philosopher’s work.
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of the philosopher’s work. Consider how Lindemann makes use of this philosopher's work.
This week class discussion will take place on VoiceThread. Sign into myCI and CI Learn under content to find the link and follow the directions there.
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."
Editing an existing article?
- NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
- Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
Creating a new article?
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
SAVE at least one bit of your editing to move to the WP page until we are all together and can appreciate our work on Hatnote.
- Assignment - WP
- Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 16 November 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Actively read all of “Identities Damaged to Order”
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of Lindemann’s argument. On what basis does she make the claims that she does?
Come prepared to present, discuss, and workshop your analysis in class.
- Assignment - WP
- 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 Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 23 November 2016
- Assignment - Reading and Analysis
READ: Choose one of the philosophers whose work Lindemann references in “Identities Damaged to Order” and find the original reference, any WP reference to that philosopher’s work, and at least one other scholarly reference about that philosopher’s work.
WRITE: In your blog synthesize what you understand to be the most important elements of the philosopher’s work. Consider how Lindemann makes use of this philosopher's work.
This week class discussion will take place on VoiceThread, though you are free to use the classroom and time to work on your WP projects. Sign into myCI and CI Learn under "content" to find the link and then follow the directions there.
- Assignment - WP
- 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 Content Expert at any time!
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 30 November 2016
- Assignment - WP
- Reflective essay
- Write a reflective essay (2–5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
Week 15
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 7 December 2016
- Assignment - Portfolio due
- In class - Review and Prep for Final exam
Week 16
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 14 December 2016
- In class - Final Exam 10
- 30-‐12:30