Education/News/November 2023/4th WikiUNAM Editathon: Community knowledge strengthens education
4th WikiUNAM Editathon: Community knowledge strengthens education
At WikiUNAM we have a common objective: joining open educational resources to Wikipedia articles. It was an ideal occasion to strengthen the link between the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and Wikipedia, the largest collaborative encyclopedia available, and Wikimedia projects.
The event began with the words of Jackeline Bucio, deputy director of the area of Distance Baccalaureate (B@UNAM) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), of the Coordination of the Open University, Educational Innovation and Distance Education (CUAIEED) from UNAM, and member of the board of directors of Wikimedia México, and Carmen Alcázar, executive director of Wikimedia México. Immediately, Maryana Iskander, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, sent motivating words to the audience who participated in the event. Likewise, thanks to the collaboration of Nebojša Ratković, in charge of the education program at Wikimedia Serbia, a link was made to said chapter. The colleagues from Serbia have a great interest in editing Wikipedia in Spanish, specially educational articles. With these interventions, we were able to verify the global nature and extensive collaboration of the project.
Throughout the day, those who attended, worked taking advantage of their experience and knowledge to improve various Wikipedia articles related to academic, scientific, and University topics. Whether adding updated content, fixing bugs, or linking to educational resources, each contribution helped enrich the learning experience of millions of people around the world.
To close with a flourish, the teachers Nancy Galván from the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (FFyL), Ilihutsy Monroy from the Instituto de Investigaciones sobre la Universidad y la Educación (IISUE), Alicia Gerena from the Escuela Nacional de Lenguas, LinGüística y Traducción (ENALLT) and teacher Adrián Moncada from the Centro de Investigación en Diseño Industrial (CIDI), shared their experiences when incorporating Wikipedia in the classroom.
The highlight of WikiUNAM was the sense of community and collaboration that was experienced throughout. Teamwork and the exchange of ideas were at the heart of the event. It was not only about enriching Wikipedia but also about promoting the importance of open and accessible education for all people.
The 4th WikiUNAM Editathon left us with a feeling of satisfaction and the certainty that collaborative work can have a significant impact on the way we teach, learn, and share information.
We hope to see you in the next edition!