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Thursday, March 18, 2010

The answer: Wikipedia?

Who are the people who edit Wikipedia? Yes, it can be done by anyone, but what are the things people are more likely to edit - the things they are interested in or knowledgable about. In the following documentary, people discuss their use of Wikipedia and whether or not it is a reliable source for information. Interesting points for discussion: is the information we want students to look up likely to be wrongfully edited (especially in Simple English Wikipedia); Wikipedia is a collaborative enterprise, i.e. social constructivism at work; the need for students to cross-check references; do the students know how to use Wikipedia appropriately (once again, critical literacy). Here is the documentary, it's an interesting watch:



And Michael Scott's interpretation of Wikipedia and why we need to teach our students the possible dangers of blindly following Wikipedia articles:



Finally, an examination of the pitfalls of Wikipedia (including the Encycolopedia Britannica debate), College Humor Style:

3 comments:

  1. This is a nice little collection of videos on Wikipedia, which you've effectively brought into conversation with each other by reframing them on your blog. That's collective intelligence at work!

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  2. The last video linked to an ad for "Date Night" - the cost of "free" websites?

    Julie

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  3. Indeed - and the result of not monitoring content!

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