Broadening representations of rhetoric in Wikipedia: disciplinary praxis as graduate pedagogy and research (7682)

ABSTRACT

Research in rhetoric and writing has found that Wikipedia-based education allows for direct and transparent observation of practices and concepts related to writing process, research, social collaboration, and digital rhetoric while also providing opportunities for authentic writing situations. However, much of this literature has been focused on undergraduate applications. To expand this scholarship, this article centers on pedagogical applications for Wikipedia-based practices in doctoral education. Drawing from two methodologies, participatory action research and teacher research, and utilizing a method of collaborative reflective inquiry for the collection of data, this study examines graduate students’ reflective writing regarding their experience with a Wikipedia-based assignment. Qualitative analysis provides insight into students’ understanding of Wikipedia editing as a form of disciplinary praxis and teacher training that enables expansion of academic knowledge in the encyclopedia, while also highlighting specific challenges related to this form of pedagogy. Finally, this article offers specific recommendations for Wikipedia-based education and suggests avenues for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• graduate education
• disciplinary praxis
• teacher research
• participatory action research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).