Objectives
On completion of this activity, you will be able to:
- Understand how Wikipedia works
- Discuss the credibility and reliability of Wikipedia
- Devise strategies to help students use Wikipedia for their language projects or personal use.
About Wikipedia
As the Internet is overflowing with information and all kinds of resources, you have to remind yourself that “even the most credible online documents are often provisional and unstable” (Dudeney, Hockly and Pegrum, 2014: 23).
Wikipedia is an example of a source of information constantly in flux, widely used by all, yet criticised by many, and often banned from academic sources. Amy Bruckman (2011, cited in Dudeney, Hockly and Pegru; 2014: 22) points out that “a popular, high profile Wikipedia page is the most accurate reference that has ever been created in the history of the written word” because it has been checked and looked over by hundreds of editors. “On the other hand”, says Bruckman, “an article on an obscure topic may be relatively unreliable and any falsification or vandalism may go unnoticed for some time”. So should we use Wikipedia to source credible and reliable information? And if so, how should we use it?
But first, let’s look at what Wikipedia is and how it works.
What is Wikipedia and how does it work?
So, is Wikipedia a credible and reliable source?
How can we use Wikipedia to find credible and reliable information?
Related activities
Context of use | Title | Related themes | Languages |
---|---|---|---|
CPD materials | |||
Information literacy, what is it? | Reading Skills: Analysing - Developing critical reading skills | FR | |
Analysing websites: critical evaluation of online information | FR | ||
About Wikipedia... | FR | ||
Activities for the classroom | |||
Evaluating websites | |||
How to help your students identify fake news | |||
Independent learning | |||
Information literacy, what is it? | FR | ||
How to evaluate the credibility and reliabity of a website | FR | ||
About Wikipedia... | FR |
Quelques ressources en français pour mieux comprendre Wikipédia…
À lire
- Wikipédia, wikipédistes : les coulisses de l’encyclopédie collaborative (TV5 monde)
- Wikipedia a 15 ans, découvrez les articles les plus improbables de l’encyclopédie (Le Huffington Post)
- Etude-choc sur la fiabilité de Wikipédia : 90% des journalistes se sont trompés (L’OBS – Rue 89)
- Wikipédia est-elle fiable ? (L’OBS – Rue 89)
- Wikipédia : pourquoi peut-on faire (plutôt) confiance à l’encyclopédie en ligne ? (RTL Futur)
À voir
- Wikipédia, la solution pour les jeunes générations (France Info – article + vidéo)
Zum Anschauen:
Ein kritischer Bericht der ARD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTaNEIeeR3A
Zum Lesen:
Ein Artikel der ARD:
http://www.ard.de/home/ard/Wikipedia_als_Leser_richtig_nutzen/167184/index.html
Ein Artikel der FAZ:
Materiali aggiuntivi in italiano:
Da leggere
- Un articolo del Corriere della Sera online sull’inattendibilità scientifica di Wikipedia.
- Un articolo di Wired.it sulla ‘libertà’ di Wikipedia.
- Un articolo su come funziona Wikipedia e quanto sia attendibile.
Da vedere
- Un video sulla legge italiana sul patrimonio artistico e culturale del Paese e le conseguenze sul materiale pubblicabile su Wikipedia
Material en español
Para leer
- Este artículo explica qué es y cómo funciona Wikipedia.
- La revista Muy Interesante publica un artículo en línea sobre la credibilidad de Wikipedia en las ciencias.
Para ver
El presidente de Wikipedia en México habla sobre la credibilidad de Wikipedia en el siguiente video: