Wikiversity courses

What is a Wikiversity Course?

A wikiversity course is a learning project with Leader instructor who defines the class agenda and creates content, introduces less experienced participants the material, and coordinates some hands on activity that allows the participant to gain mastery of a subject.

The wikiversity course has been one of the big purpose of wikiversity since the beginning however, with still many participants still having large differences of vision of exactly what a course.

Nevertheless although there is not succinct, short description of a course there is a very large network of pages seeking to define wikiversity learning and teaching. From this work we can have a better understanding of what is a course.

Wikiversity is Nothing like a University course
From the start, we can and should NOT assume that a wikiversity course is like a university course. There are such large differences in wiki philosophy that although a university course can be hosted on wiki technology, wikiversity does not adopt philosophy of many the brick and mortar universities with the participants that look to wikiversity for personal learning. (sometimes called tame). Lets highlight the major differences.


 * Students have an equal opportunity to create/alter content;Universities have structure authority where an instructor has authority to lecture and instruct that the Students do not have, Wikiversity is a collaboration between participants. the participants might NOT be equal in expertise but they are equal in the ability to discuss, alter, and explore course content.


 * WV courses have no dates, prerequisites or qualifications for the students; Universities have firm start dates, stop dates, prerequisites and requirements. Students cover material as much for accrediation and peer recognition.  Wikiversity openly invites all participates to begin and end as they desire, allows people to explore what information interests them.  However well-intentioned course instructors are they are missing the point of wikiversity when they define strict rules of participation, and grading (at best) and at worst they are being incivil.


 * Wikiversity uses the Learning by doing (Learning by discussing) model;Universities utilize the lecture and the test as the major methods to determine competence. Wikiversity both doesn't obsess with determining competence and doesn't adapt well to the lecture and or the test.  Rather Wikiversity model of learning is a learning by doing, or learning by discussing.  The wiki technology allows participants to bring creativity and widely diverse expertise (rather than narrowly forcing people into 'pre-requisites').

In the final analysis there really is very little difference between a good wikiversity course and a good wikiversity learning project. If we as the community would cast off the stereotypes and limitations of degreed programs, prerequisites, endowing certain wv participants with 'expertise', I think this would help wikiversity grow.

It is said that there is a solid core of people in wikiversity whom want to create an accredited, more conventional area within wikiversity. This seems to me that they will have to design the program not to undermine the wikiversity collaboration that was the heart of Jimmy Wales, vision for wiki technology. I welcome people to place alternate visions here and to comment about this text.

The adage to be_bold is to recognize that frequently someone must say something boldly that other people might disagree with. This very page is about pointing out that no one individual has the right to say; this is the correct on only way to look at this topic. So I welcome your unique view here. if you disagree with what I have written lets talk about it in the discussion tab.

Active courses
The idea of an active course is an odd one in wikiversity. Since a course has no beginning and ending dates and is open to all interested individuals; courses can be defined withoout students and can therefore still active without participation. of course there is a clear difference between abandoned courses and active courses (with no current students). Here are some guidelines that determine whether a course is an active one.


 * Courses have activities; courses don't have to complete but they do need a suggested activities. The teacher is as free to leave the project as the student, if there is suggested activities the course might be active.
 * Active courses have new updated content every month;Even if there is no students, there must be recent activity. It can be more content or might be just recent  developements; but courses are a little like the tree falling in the forest.
 * courses engage a group of people; Courses should be built to engage more than one participant, not just to define content or document personal learning or activities.
 * Activities help particants master the content; Suggested activities should be designed to give participants mastery of the subject. Thus topics and content are different from courses, in that topics and content inform the participant; but courses create expertise. Frequently coursework is linked to content, but sometimes it is counterproductive to create alot of content and it would be better to have the participants create the content themselves.

please feel free to put down any course that you think meets this criteria.


 * Introduction_to_US_History is an active course the learning activity is to edit the wikibook US history.--User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:geo.plrd


 * Initial_experiences is a recently defined course whose learning activity is to learn to identify the constellations.--User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:JoliePA


 * Colonial_Haiti is a recently defined course (content begin defined). Learning activity is yet undefined. --User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:Jfrankc08


 * A_course_in_troll_sockpuppets is a cool course. not lacking for an interesting learning activity. --User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:Durova


 * History_of_Europe_to_1648 is a developing course. Good content, knowledgable intructor. --User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:Dilos1


 * Wikipedia is a course regarding wikipedia and wiki technology. School:WikiService --User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:Mange01


 * Social_psychology_(psychology) a well defined course is being run concurrently at a university. User:JoliePA Nov 2008
 * Course instructor; User:jtneill


 * History_of_the_Ottoman_Empire is an active course. That is helping students about History of Ottoman Empire and History of Modern Turkey...
 * Course instructor; User:Bermanya


 * Human_Legacy_Course is an active course that is helping students know more about history from the dawn of civilization to the present day.
 * Course Instructor; User:MrABlair23


 * United_States_History is an active course analysis on United States History from Prehistory to the present day.
 * Course Instructor; User:MrABlair23