Education/News/January 2023/Wikidata Citation Hunt Program for secondary school students, Dubai
Wikidata Citation Hunt Program for secondary school students, Dubai
Information technology and power research are the yin and yang of progress" - Freeman Dyson.
I organized a Wikidata Citation Hunt Program for secondary school students at IIS School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as part of the celebration of India's 74th Republic Day. 16 students from different states of India and different mother tongues participated in the event. The goal of the program was to increase the references for Wikidata statements based on research.
- The Research Process
The program began by listing the Wikidata items of India's freedom fighters and people who worked to prepare the constitution of India using the tool "petscan". Out of more than 600 Wikidata items, 100 were selected for the students to add references to. Grade 8 students, who have 3 chapters on India's history of freedom fighting movement and colonialism, used this opportunity to research different websites and learn more about the topic.
- Introduction to Wikidata
Many students were not familiar with Wikidata, but they knew about Wikipedia. Therefore, an introduction to the importance of protecting the history of India on the internet was given. The students were then taught about Wikipedia and Wikidata and how to edit both. After creating their Wikidata accounts, the students joined an educational program on dashboard.
- Special Event Page
The special event page of the Wikidata Citation Hunt can be found at Event page. The page includes a list of Wikidata items for the students to add references to, as well as detailed instructions on the research and editing process.
- The Impacts
- Students researched the Wikidata items using their textbooks and search engines and added references to the Wikidata item statements. This program not only helped the students learn more about India's history of freedom fighting movement and colonialism but also contributed to preserving this history on the internet.
- The Wkidata training for school students helped to increase their knowledge and understanding of Wikidata, as well as their ability to contribute to it.
- They also learned about the importance of accurate and reliable information on the internet, and how Wikidata plays a role in ensuring that information is accurate.
- Students learned how to add and edit information on Wikidata, which may inspire them to become active contributors to the platform.
- The training also helped students to develop research skills and critical thinking, which are important for their future academic and professional lives.