IIITH-OKI/Advanced Train The Trainer 2025/Follow-up/Submitted/Santhosh Notagar99
Participant's Experience & Further thoughts
[edit]Wikimedia Username
[edit]Community / Organisation / Affiliate
[edit]- Wikipedia Asian Month User Group, Commons Photographers User Group, Wikipedia & Education User Group, St Aloysius Wikipedia Association
Track attended
[edit]- Project Design
Actions after the training
[edit]What steps have you taken since October 2025? (Example: started a project, redesigned an existing program, ran a workshop, created metrics, built partnerships, etc.)
Executed a Wikimedia Foundation-funded project focused on documenting folk traditions through videos, photos, and oral recordings.
Led photo uploading and awareness sessions along with Dr Hariprasad Shetty, HOD of the Zoology Department, to engage students in documenting coastal biodiversity on Wikimedia Commons.
Currently serving as the South Asia Ambassador, where I coordinate with multiple language communities across the region. I review and consolidate proposals from South Asian communities, present them to the Steering Committee, and facilitate grant support for local activities and edit-a-thons, including prizes. Over the past two years, I have successfully supported these initiatives, resulting in the creation of more than 2,500 articles across Indian languages through grant-supported programs.
Served as a Campus Ambassador for the Wiki Science Competition in India, which is being organized for the first time in the country. I actively engaged and guided students from St Aloysius University to participate in the competition, promoting scientific photography and documentation. As a result of these efforts, students from our university won 2 national-level prizes, marking a significant achievement and recognition at the national level.
Conducted structured edit-a-thons and workshops at St Aloysius University, increasing regional language contributions and student participation.
Organized continuous hands-on training sessions for students at St Aloysius University, ensuring sustained engagement and skill development.
Celebrated Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary at St Aloysius University, combining community engagement with knowledge-sharing activities.
Shared insights and experiences on Wikimedia education initiatives, highlighting institutional practices and impact.
Delivered a case study presentation on “Wikipedia and Formal Learning: A Study of Wikipedia Activities at St Aloysius University.”
Conducted the edit-a-thon on the occasion of the Chinese Lunar New Year, encouraging thematic content creation and global participation.
Integrated structured training modules for beginners and ensured all students at St. Aloysius University complete foundational learning before contributing.
Delivered presentations in JNU, New Delhi, sharing oral culture documentation experiences and representing St Aloysius University.
Actively participated as an organizer, jury member, and ambassador in global initiatives such as Wikipedia Asian Month, Wiki Science Competition, and Feminism & Folklore.
Application of learning
[edit]Which ideas, tools, or methods from the training have you actually used?
- Structured training design and modular learning approach
Applied systematic training frameworks while conducting workshops and regular Wikipedia training sessions at St Aloysius University, especially through the Wikipedia Students’ Association.
- Outcome-based program planning
Used clear goal-setting and measurable outputs in organizing initiatives like Wikipedia Asian Month edit-a-thons, Spring Month Edit-a-thon, and Wiki Loves Fish sessions.
- Community engagement and leadership strategies
Implemented strategies to mobilize students and regional language communities, particularly in my role as South Asia Ambassador for Wikipedia Asian Month and Campus Ambassador for Wiki Science Competition.
- Partnership building and collaboration methods
Collaborated with faculty members (e.g., Zoology Department), international communities, and Wikimedia networks to strengthen participation and interdisciplinary engagement.
- Documentation and reporting practices
Improved the way activities are documented and shared through Meta, presentations (EduWiki Showcase, DCW Wikiversary), and community reports.
How did they help in practice?
- Helped in conducting more structured and impactful workshops, improving both participa-tion and learning outcomes
- Enabled large-scale coordination across South Asian communities.
- Strengthened student engagement and retention at St Aloysius University through con-tinuous and guided training
- Improved quality of contributions, including articles, media uploads, and documentation projects
- Supported successful execution of national and international roles, such as ambassador and jury responsibilities.
- Enhanced institutional integration of Wikimedia activities, making them more sustainable and curriculum-oriented
Outcomes or early results
[edit]Have you noticed any changes, improvements, or learning so far? (This could be about participants, content quality, team processes, reporting, or community engagement.)
- Significant increase in student participation and retention
Regular training programs and structured learning approaches at St Aloysius University have led to consistent student engagement in Wikimedia projects.
- High content contribution and measurable outputs
Through initiatives like Wikipedia Asian Month and other edit-a-thons, more than 2,500 articles were created across Indian languages, along with improvements to existing content.
- Improved quality of contributions
Training and mentoring resulted in better-quality articles, well-documented media on Wikimedia Commons, and meaningful contributions to Wikiquote and other projects.
- Recognition at national and international levels
Students from St Aloysius University won 2 national-level prizes in the Wiki Science Competition, and contributions were recognized through roles such as ambassador and international jury member.
- Successful execution of structured programs and events
Multiple workshops, campaigns, and celebrations (e.g., Wikipedia 25th anniversary, Spring Edit-a-thon) were conducted with clear outcomes and strong participation.
- Strengthened institutional model for Wikimedia education
The integration of Wikimedia activities into structured learning at St Aloysius University has become a replicable model, also presented at conferences like EduWiki Showcase and DCW Wikiversary.
- Growth in cultural and knowledge documentation
Projects like “Documenting the Folk Arts of North Karnataka” contributed to preserving regional knowledge through videos, photos, and oral recordings on Wikimedia Commons.
Challenges
[edit]What has been difficult while applying what you learned?
- Sustaining long-term engagement of new contributors
While initial participation in workshops and edit-a-thons is high at St Aloysius University, maintaining consistent contribution over time remains challenging.
- Balancing academic structure with community flexibility
Integrating Wikimedia activities into academic schedules while also keeping them engaging and voluntary requires careful planning.
- Ensuring quality control in large-scale programs
Managing content quality during large edit-a-thons (such as Wikipedia Asian Month) across multiple languages and participants can be difficult.
- Adapting advanced training for diverse learner levels
With the introduction of B.Tech programs at St Aloysius University, designing train-ing that suits both beginners and technically advanced students is a challenge.
Where did you get stuck?
- Measuring long-term impact beyond numbers
While outputs like article count and participation are measurable, assessing deeper learning outcomes and long-term editor retention is challenging.
- Scaling initiatives beyond the university level
Expanding successful models from St Aloysius University to a wider regional or national lev-el requires more structured support and partnerships.
- Access to advanced expertise and mentorship
For higher-level training (e.g., Wikidata, technical tools), there is a need for more expert guid-ance, where progress sometimes slows down.
Support needed
[edit]- What kind of help would make your next step easier? (Mentoring, peer review, technical help, evaluation guidance, partnerships, funding advice, etc.)
To take the next step, I would benefit from:
- Mentorship and expert guidance for conducting advanced-level Wikimedia training programs, especially for technically skilled students
- Resource persons with expertise in areas like Wikidata, advanced workflows, and technical contributions
- Small grants support to organize structured training sessions, workshops, and hands-on demonstrating
- Support in designing advanced training modules tailored for students from newly in-troduced B.Tech Engineering programs at St Aloysius University
Plans for the next 3–6 months
[edit]What are you hoping to try or build next? In the coming months, I plan to:
- Initiate advanced-level Wikimedia training programs for students at St Aloysius University, especially targeting those enrolled in the newly introduced B.Tech Engi-neering courses
- Design specialized modules focusing on technical contributions such as Wikidata, structured data, and media documentation workflows
- Expand the Folk Arts documentation project to involve students in technology-supported cultural preservation
- Strengthen curriculum integration by introducing Wikimedia as a practical component in engineering and interdisciplinary learning
- Organize thematic edit-a-thons and advanced workshops with external experts
What collaborations emerged because of Advanced TTT, and what became possible that might not have happened otherwise?
The Advanced TTT program strengthened my connections with national and international Wikimedians, and as a result, the following collaborations and opportunities emerged:
- Increased involvement in international jury roles and ambassador programs
- Opportunities to invite expert trainers for advanced workshops at St Aloysius Univer-sity
- Exploration of collaborations for technical training and capacity building
- Ability to design more structured and scalable training programs for diverse student groups, including B.Tech Engineering students at St Aloysius University
These opportunities emerged directly from the exposure, network, and learning gained through the Advanced TTT program, and may not have been possible otherwise
Anything else to share
[edit]- Stories, reflections, surprises, or advice for future cohorts.
The Advanced TTT program significantly improved my approach to training and community leadership. One key realization was the importance of structured learning and sustainability over one-time events. A major takeaway is that building a strong local community (like the Wikipedia Students’ As-sociation) can create long-term impact when combined with global collaboration. For future partners, I would suggest focusing on practical implementation and continuous en-gagement rather than only theoretical learning.
Links
[edit]Please provide any relevant links about your work
- Already added links in the above content