Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Alabama at Birmingham/Comparative Developmental Biology (Spring 2023)
| This Course
|
Wikipedia Resources
|
Connect
Questions? Ask us:
contact |
 | This course page is an automatically-updated version of the main course page at dashboard.wikiedu.org. Please do not edit this page directly; any changes will be overwritten the next time the main course page gets updated. |
- Course name
- Comparative Developmental Biology
- Institution
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Instructor
- Peggy Biga
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Course dates
- 2023-01-09 00:00:00 UTC – 2023-04-21 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 61
The goal of this course is to introduce you all to mechanisms regulating how organisms develop from a single cell, and how this process continues throughout life. Students will learn how to critically think about developmental biology and science in general. Students will gain an understanding of the complexities of how life begins and results in a multi-cellular organism (in some cases), gain an understanding of the evolution of complexity in the animal kingdom, understand how the environment shapes development and evolution, and understand controversial topics in developmental biology from a scientific perspective.
This assignment will focus on filling gaps on Wikipedia in relation to ecological and evolutionary biology. From adding context pages on key developmental biologists (from diverse backgrounds), to new content pages on key ecological developmental biology concepts (developmental plasticity, environmental epigenetics, developmental symbioses, teratogenesis, endocrine disruptors, developmental origin of disease, etc.). This assignment will build on weekly journal reflection entries required for the course and will add key competencies in writing and critical thinking.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 9 January 2023 | Wednesday, 11 January 2023 | Friday, 13 January 2023
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia assignment
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.
Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Get started on Wikipedia
Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 2
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 18 January 2023 | Friday, 20 January 2023
- Assignment - Evaluate Wikipedia
- In class - Discussion
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 23 January 2023 | Wednesday, 25 January 2023 | Friday, 27 January 2023
- Assignment - Review the rules for health topics
- Assignment - Choose your article
Content list:
Category - people of interest
Rachel Carson
Tyrone Hayes
David Barker
James Van Gundia Neel
Aldo Leopold
Lucille Farrier Stickel
Sidney Green
Darryl B. Hood
- Can you locate other people that might be good additions?
Category - main topics
Evolutionary developmental biology
Ecological evolutionary developmental biology
Developmental plasticity
Developmental symbiosis
Environmental epigenetics
Teratogenesis
Endocrine disruptors
Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Environment, evolution, and development
- Can you identify a topic not on this list that might be a good addition?
- In class - Discussion
- Guide(s) for writing articles in your topic area
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 30 January 2023 | Wednesday, 1 February 2023 | Friday, 3 February 2023
- Assignment - Make a small edit
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 6 February 2023 | Wednesday, 8 February 2023 | Friday, 10 February 2023
- Assignment - Start drafting your contributions
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 13 February 2023 | Wednesday, 15 February 2023 | Friday, 17 February 2023
- Assignment - Peer review two articles
- In class - Discussion
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 20 February 2023 | Wednesday, 22 February 2023 | Friday, 24 February 2023
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.
Resources:
- Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
- Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 27 February 2023 | Wednesday, 1 March 2023 | Friday, 3 March 2023
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the "mainspace."
Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 6 March 2023 | Wednesday, 8 March 2023 | Friday, 10 March 2023
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 20 March 2023 | Wednesday, 22 March 2023 | Friday, 24 March 2023
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 27 March 2023 | Wednesday, 29 March 2023 | Friday, 31 March 2023
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!
- Assignment - Reflective essay
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 3 April 2023 | Wednesday, 5 April 2023 | Friday, 7 April 2023
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.