Reading the Wikipedia article shocked me. I remember the transition period when Wikipedia was "outed" for not being credible, and like many others, I swore off the site for a while. However, in college I decided to use Wikipedia as an aid. I always liked the site because it was easy to navigate and held tons of information, so I would make sure to check the cited sources to confirm accuracy. I never relied on it academically as a credible source of information, but appreciated the simple layout when researching trivial facts.
I would use Wikipedia in my classroom the same way I used it in college. I would teach Wikipedia as a great source of quick information, but would also teach that each fact must be substantiated through credible sources. Just because there is no “citation needed” mark at the end of a fact does not mean that the source is reliable. As noted in discussion today, many times the links are dead or bias. My students would learn to view Wikipedia through a critical eye and accept its flaws.
I have changed my views on Wikipedia in years, and have come to view it as an acquaintance. I wouldn’t call it a friend, because it is not completely reliable, but I would not call it a foe, because it can be of use. I hope to convey to students the importance of checking sources, even if it is not on Wikipedia. It is easy to find bias and errors in any source, and giving too much focus on one website can cause one to miss something on another.
I would use Wikipedia in my classroom the same way I used it in college. I would teach Wikipedia as a great source of quick information, but would also teach that each fact must be substantiated through credible sources. Just because there is no “citation needed” mark at the end of a fact does not mean that the source is reliable. As noted in discussion today, many times the links are dead or bias. My students would learn to view Wikipedia through a critical eye and accept its flaws.
I have changed my views on Wikipedia in years, and have come to view it as an acquaintance. I wouldn’t call it a friend, because it is not completely reliable, but I would not call it a foe, because it can be of use. I hope to convey to students the importance of checking sources, even if it is not on Wikipedia. It is easy to find bias and errors in any source, and giving too much focus on one website can cause one to miss something on another.
I agree with how you view Wikipedia in that you need to use it in a certain way. I agree that you could use it to teach students how to see if a website is credible. I on the other hand never saw Wikipedia as a reliable source I just never felt comfortable using it but I love how you referred to Wikipedia as an acquaintance! When you were reading the article was there anything that really shocked you or stood out?
ReplyDeleteI thought the following quote was interesting as a means of promoting Wikipedia for critical thinking: "Wikipedia’s transparent and participatory nature invites visitors to question what they’re reading in ways that static, expert-driven reference texts do not". I know I always assumed that since a book or reference is in a library, it must be a credible source. I never gave much thought to what the source's bias was, but always took great caution with online information. This quote portrays Wikipedia as a beneficial tool in that it encourages analysis that traditional texts do not. Fascinating point of view!
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of Wikipedia as an "acquaintance"!! :)
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