Open Wiki Assignments for Authentic Learning | 24 April

Many student assignments are written for one person, read once, and then never read again. 

In this session, Dr. James Neill, from the Disciple of Psychology, University of Canberra, will challenge that model by exploring how open wiki assignments can turn student work into useful, open knowledge. 

Rather than producing disposable assessments, students can curate their work using Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) sister projects such as Wikipedia, Wikiversity, and Wiki Commons. Student editing of one of world’s most widely used knowledge platforms helps develop critical research skills, meta-knowledge, and communication skills by writing for a real audience. 

The session will explore: 

• What open wiki assignments look like in practice, and where they go wrong 

• The realities of working in publicly editable spaces (including having work changed or deleted) 

• Practical strategies and supports, including tools such as Wiki Education Foundation 

This session is for educators who are curious about open education using wikis but may be sceptical, short on time, or wary of adding complexity to their teaching. 

Presenter 

James Neill is an Assistant Professor in the Discipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Australia. He seeks to contribute open educational resources that are maximally reusable and editable by anyone via open wiki platforms. James is an English Wikiversity custodian and bureaucrat who has made over 70,000 edits since 2005. Learn more about James’ teaching philosophy.