Michigan State offers course on WP adminship, should be an easy A if you suck up to the right people Options

[Ego Trippin' (Part Two)]

According to this, Dr. Jonathan Obar, assistant visiting professor in the Michigan State telecommunications department, "is teaching a course this semester on how Wikipedia is governed and how administrators are selected." The students' coursework will be based in part on interviews they will conduct with Wikipedia admins. About 25 admins have already signed up to be interviewed.

A previous thread discussed an article by Obar which sung the praises of using Wikipedia in the classroom. I guess he's progressed from teaching students to use Wikipedia to teaching students about Wikipedia's inner functions. Unfortunately, I suspect that Obar will teach the course with a pro-Wikipedia slant.

I was unable to find a course description on MSU's website. Presumably it's out of date.

What do you think the sourcing standards are like for papers in this novel class? Surely there's not much out there in the way of peer-reviewed literature about Wikipedia's governance.
More to the point, is this the first time you've heard of a college course being taught about Wikipedia's inner workings?

[Kelly Martin]

I would be curious to know what, if any, financial support Dr. Obar is getting from the Foundation. It's also interesting that he lists himself as a fellow, but doesn't appear on the Foundation's own list.

Ah, found it. He's a "teaching fellow". Whatever that means. From what I can tell, not much. I would say, however, that these "teaching fellows" are people who should be monitored for wikistupidity in higher education.

[Cla68]

I would be curious to know what, if any, financial support Dr. Obar is getting from the Foundation. It's also interesting that he lists himself as a fellow, but doesn't appear on the Foundation's own list.

Ah, found it. He's a "teaching fellow". Whatever that means. From what I can tell, not much. I would say, however, that these "teaching fellows" are people who should be monitored for wikistupidity in higher education.

Hopefully, a WR reader will enroll in the course and keep up a constant barrage of questions to the instructor about the contradictions, dichotomies, inconsistencies, and corruption in WP's administrative processes and the almost complete absence of any kind of administrative leadership from the Foundation. What would be even better is if that student was thrown out of class or given a failing grade.

This post has been edited by Cla68: Sun 29th January 2012, 5:00am