Writing for Wikipedia in the classroom: challenging official knowledge (a case study in 12th grade)

Abstract

The paper describes an exploratory case study, carried out in an environment of critical action-research, at a urban K12 School in Portugal, which incorporates the use of Wikipedia in the 12th grade Portuguese curriculum (Writing Workshop, 73 students, 3 classes). The question was: Does the activity of writing articles for Wikipedia, by students changes the way these students a) relate to knowledge (awareness of it’s constructed, dynamic nature and b) use the information available on the Internet? Through questionnaires, observation and document analysis, we found many positive outcomes, e.g. skills relating to Wikipedia system; critical awareness of the information available; awareness that a text is an unfinished product and that can be collective; awareness of ethical and legal requirements.