Everybody knows what Wikipedia is, but have you ever wondered:  Where does it come from?  Who are these mysterious people who create the content on Wikipedia?  And how can I contribute myself?

This course will teach students how to write for Wikipedia, interact with the Wikipedia community, and better appreciate how Wikipedia works both as an encyclopedia and as a social movement.  Wikipedia, the sixth most visited website on the Internet and the largest reference work ever assembled, is not only a great outreach avenue for increasing public understanding of topics of academic interest; contributing to Wikipedia can also be useful as a professional development tool to develop communications skills and interact with a community of editors who can provide feedback on one's work. This course will introduce newcomers to Wikipedia's specific content rules and social norms in a hands-on manner as students edit articles on Wikipedia and eventually create their own new Wikipedia article.  Course to be taught by John P. Sadowski.