Wikidata:MOOC
The Wikidata MOOC project aims to create a massive open online course (or "MOOC") in order to allow anyone to edit Wikidata. Indeed, as Wikidata is becoming a central pivot in the web of data and one of the most active Wikimedia Projects, it is also a difficult project for novices to tackle, and it therefore seems important to us to offer adequate training through a MOOC similar to what has been done for Wikipedia with the Wikimooc.
About the course
Wikidata is a multilingual and collaboratively edited knowledge base hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, just like Wikipedia. It is one of the most active projects of the Wikimedia movement, with about 14,000 active editors in April 2020[1] (which puts it in third place, after the English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons), and it is quickly becoming a central pivot in the web of data. In June 2020, atop the Wikimedia projects, more than 30 external tools reuse its data[2], and more than 280 research papers have been published about it[3].
But how Wikidata functions remains largely unknown. Wikidata allows the centralisation and structuring of knowledge in an open and collaborative way, based on the Wikipedia model. The site is modifiable by any Internet user, but the contribution obeys a certain number of principles and rules.
This MOOC (a free online course open to all) aims to take its participants behind the scenes of the largest open knowledge base in the world: understand how it works, its rules, discover its community, the way its content reliability is guaranteed, etc. These courses will also allow them to learn how to contribute to Wikidata themselves: modify and create items, interact with other contributors, work collaboratively… At the end of Wikimooc, they will be able to contribute to Wikidata in an autonomous way.
Who is this course for?
The course is aimed at anyone who wishes to discover how the largest open knowledge base in the world works and/or learn to contribute to help share knowledge with as many people as possible: students, researchers, professionals in any sector of activity, or even retired people.
This Wikidata discovery course will require no prior knowledge. In particular, it will not be necessary to have advanced knowledge in a specific field, nor a particularly developed general culture. Nor will it be necessary to have advanced computer skills.
Practical information
- Duration of the course: 4 to 6 weeks
- Language: We want to do it at least in French, and, depending on the funding we can secure, at least release all quizzes and text material in English.
- Release date: it is expected to be published in 2021
How you can help
- If you are a Wikidata contributor and want to join the adventure, please contact us.
- If you are an organisation and want to contribute with either a financial or a skill-based sponsorship, please also contact us.
About Wikimedia France
Wikimedia France is the French association, created on 23 October 2004, which works for the free sharing of knowledge through Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, etc.)
To fulfil this objective, it has set itself three missions:
- The increase of content (both quality and quantity). For this, it organises edit-a-thons and opérations libres, and also helps with digitisation and uploading. From this perspective, it signs partnerships with organisations with various social objectives (museums, universities, local authorities…)
- The animation of communities interested in Wikimedia projects. To this end, it supports contributors in their individual or collective projects, by offering human, financial and material resources.
- The increase in skills of target audiences. For this, it offers training for educational actors, the general public and volunteers on different themes, such as the uses of Wikipedia in the classroom and contribution to Wikimedia projects.
The association is supported by a team of 9 employees and by its 380 members spread across France.
Notes and references
- ↑ Active editors stats for Wikidata in April 2020
- ↑ List of data visualisation tools
- ↑ List on Scholia