Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2018
Abstract
Instructors of Israeli history or literature, like professors in other areas, complain about students’ use of Wikipedia—and with good reason. Unlike peer-reviewed scholarship, many Wikipedia articles contain information that is both incomplete and wrong. Most instructors will warn their students that relying on Wikipedia is a sure recipe for failing assignments. Yet there is a way to mobilize this giant encyclopedia for pedagogical purposes. When students in Israel Studies classes are assigned to edit Wikipedia articles, they achieve multiple goals: they gain critical reading skills, shape public knowledge about Israel, and engage in active learning. This article explains how to run a Wikipedia-editing assignment, outlines its pedagogical benefits, and highlights challenges involved in editing articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Recommended Citation
Klein, Shira. 2018. “Using Wikipedia in Israel Studies Courses.” Israel Studies Review 33 (1). https://doi.org/10.3167/isr.2018.330107
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
Association for Israel Studies
Included in
Cultural History Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Technology Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, Other History Commons, Other Political Science Commons, Political History Commons, Public History Commons, Social History Commons
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Israel Studies Review, volume 33, issue 1, in 2018 following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.3167/isr.2018.330107