Submissions/Top down: making a country's education system wiki-compatible

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2014.

Submission no. 3036

How can we change the attitudes of thousands of educators, librarians, and researchers so that ever more of them see the benefits of working with Wikimedia?

Title of the submission: Top-down: making a country's education system wiki-compatible

Type of submission (discussion, hot seat, panel, presentation, tutorial, workshop): Presentation

Author of the submission: Martin Poulter

E-mail address: m.l.poulterbristol.ac.uk

Username: User:MartinPoulter

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.): Employed by the University of Bristol but not speaking for anyone in any official capacity

Personal homepage or blog: infobomb.org

Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)

In the UK, we are lucky to have a system where education institutions are not centrally controlled but where there is a lot of centralised support. There are institutional, regional, and national bodies that support and share innovation and influence educational practice. Within universities, there are learning technologists, staff developers, specialist librarians, public engagement staff, and other kinds of expert who can work usefully with Wikimedia projects and influence others to do so.

National and international scholarly societies are another channel that spread good practice and shape academics’ attitudes towards Wikimedia and the open knowledge movement. Funders and accrediting bodies also have a role to play in driving innovation and new ways of working.

What do all these people and groups want? How do we make the case that Wikimedia shares those goals? How do we show that those goals can be realised in Wikimedia’s free and open way of working? How do we put Wikimedia where it is not just tolerated, but a mainstream part of the way educators and their institutions work?

This presentation will show how top-down approaches, involving management, funders, support staff, and expert organisations, create a culture that supports bottom-up change driven by educators and learners. This is not a theoretical possibility but is how the UK chapter, right now, is building relationships with educators and researchers.

The presenter was the first Wikimedia Ambassador for Jisc, a national educational charity which advises and works with the Higher and Further Education sectors. As a Wikimedia UK volunteer, he was involved in setting up its education support strategy and its programme of Expert Outreach, working with scholarly societies.

Track: Education Outreach

Length of session (if other than 30 minutes, specify how long): 30 minutes including questions

Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?: Yes

Slides or further information (optional)

Special requests: None

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