Berson leads a workshop about Wikipedia at Concordia. Students learn to read and edit Wikipedia pages and uncover contributors’ biases.(Photograph by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin)
According to University of Windsor librarian Heidi Jacobs, professors need to “start thinking critically about Wikipedia and work to make it better rather than just say ‘don’t use it’.” Part of the way institutions are changing opinions about the role of Wikipedia in the academy is through the position of Wikipedian-in-residence. Instituted at places like Concordia University, University of Toronto, and now UWindsor, the role of these new figures within the institutions often involves teaching students about the possibilities and problems of the webpage, such as learning how to become a public historian or gender bias in Wikipedia entries. “Editing Wikipedia pages helps users understand just how malleable knowledge is,” says U of T Wikipedian-in-Residence Alex Jung.
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