Experiences Teaching Math Using Wikipedia Andrew Knyazev Twenty-Third Annual International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics Denver, Colorado March 18, 2011 This presentation is at 1

Abstract Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia that anyone can edit, keeps getting more popular with the general public and better accepted in the academic community. It is tempting to use it directly for class presentations. We share our experience teaching upper undergraduate and graduate math classes using Wikipedia. 2

Contents What is Wikipedia? Copying Wikipedia content: free license Editing Wikipedia articles and adding content Wikipedia articles on mathematics Why using Wikipedia for teaching math? Our experiences using Wikipedia Conclusions 3

What is Wikipedia? 1/2 4  Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free- content encyclopedia project based on an openly editable model  Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers  Since its creation in 2001, Wikipedia has grown rapidly into one of the largest reference websites, attracting hundred million visitors monthly  There are 4 million articles in English

What is Wikipedia? 2/2 5  Articles are never considered complete and may be continually edited and improved  Over time, this generally results in an upward trend of quality and a growing consensus over a neutral representation of information  It is important to use Wikipedia carefully if it is intended to be used as a research source  Individual articles will, by their nature, vary in quality and maturity

Copying Wikipedia content: free license 6  Most of Wikipedia's text and many of its images are dual-licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA) and the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL)  Contributions remain the property of their creators, while the CC-BY-SA and GFDL licenses ensure the content is freely distributable and reproducible  Perfect to be used for class notes and slides

Editing Wikipedia articles and adding content 7  Can be done anonymously, but then the computer IP address is logged and displayed – not recommended from home  Registration is trivial and requires no personal information – highly recommended for a regular contributor  Contributions can be easily tracked and watched by the contributor  The math syntax is mostly LATEX based and reasonably simple

Wikipedia articles on mathematics 8  Wikipedia articles on mathematics are often well matured and carefully written  It is tempting to use Wikipedia for class presentations using a computer projector directly from the Wikipedia web site  Wikipedia often presents fresh points and brings new light to illuminate the material already available in the class textbook  Have a look and give it a try!

Why using Wikipedia for teaching math? 9 It is fun! High quality free content, in many cases ready to be used without any changes The open-access and unrestricted editing of Wikipedia give students an opportunity to contribute, and makes teaching an integral component of the creation of new knowledge A natural step toward continuing education, and first of all, self-education, beyond the classroom

Our experiences using Wikipedia 10 Our experiences using Wikipedia Actual classes taught using Wikipedia for lectures: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, and Approximation Theory, all in Issues and advice:  If unreliable Internet – copy the pages locally  Use simultaneously the projector screen for Wikipedia and a blackboard for your own examples, exercises, and comments  Do not edit the Wikipedia text during class time unless as a demonstration of editing for students  Print relevant Wikipedia articles for students  Need to know the material extremely well  Become regular Wikipedia editor/contributor

About the author 11 Ph.D. in Math, Russian Acad. of Sciences, 1985 Teaching math experience in Russia and USA:  Moscow Inst. Engineering and Physics,  Moscow State University,  Moscow Physico-Technical Institute (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology),  University of Colorado Denver, since 1994 UC Denver nominee for the University of Colorado President's Faculty Excellence Award for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Technology, 1999 Teaching Excellence Award for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver, 2000

Conclusions 12  When properly used, Wikipedia is a great help in teaching math high-level classes  Arguably, the future of math education will be based on Wikipedia-like tools  Jump in it! (copyrighted by direct-tv)