Democratising case law while teaching Students

Writing Wikipedia articles on legal cases

Abstract

This article draws on qualitative student feedback and lecturer experience to provide a guide for educators who are interested in creating Wikipedia article-based assignments. Using legal cases as an example, this article details how these assignments can encourage students to deepen their understanding of a topic and consider how knowledge can be communicated effectively. In particular, this article focuses on how educators outside of the United States and Canada can navigate Wikipedia’s bureaucracy and how they and their students can contribute information of relevance to smaller jurisdictions on a publicly-accessible repository. This article begins by addressing concerns that educators may have with student use of Wikipedia, while highlighting pedagogical benefits for students who write Wikipedia articles. It goes on to provide a guide for educators who want to create a Wikipedia article writing assignment – in particular, the preparatory steps required to make the assignment effective, how to support students in their writing journey, and how to better ensure that student-authored articles remain available on Wikipedia. This article concludes by encouraging educators to consider using Wikipedia as an educational tool, and to teach their students how they can use Wikipedia article writing to contribute to public knowledge.