Wikimedia in the curriculum: case studies from teaching and learning in UK higher and further education.
Satu Kapiainen, Head of Digital Skills, Design and Training, The University of Edinburgh and Ewan McAndrew, Wikimedian in Residence, The University of Edinburgh
The Wikimedian in Residence at the University of Edinburgh has been helping academic colleagues implement digital capability development across a range of curricular courses since 2016. This has facilitated a growing understanding among students and staff of how information is created, challenged and shared online. Courses that have benefitted from Wikimedia activities include Translation Studies, Design Informatics and Online History. During this session we will share a number of case studies of successfully implementing Wikimedia activities and digital capabilities in the curriculum at The University of Edinburgh.
Satu Kapiainen is the Head of Digital Skills, Design and Training at The University of Edinburgh's Information Services Group. Ewan McAndrew is the Wikimedian in Residence at the University, facilitating a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship between the University and Wikimedia UK.
Integrating Digital Skills Training into International Development: Empowering Data-Driven Humanitarian Research and Enhancing Employability
Michael Wiemers, London School of Economics and Political Science, Learning Development Lead - Academic Partnerships, London School of Economics and Political Science.
I will share the integration of the Digital Skills Lab (DSL) courses into the DV467 programme, designed for MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies students. This initiative addresses a critical gap in digital and quantitative training by integrating Excel and PowerBI workshops directly into the academic course. Our aim is to develop students’ data fluency so they can effectively apply these tools in their research projects on topics such as famine and food insecurity.
Following a successful pilot with six students, where we observed remarkable improvements in their ability to analyze, clean, and visualize data, we have now expanded the programme to a cohort of 18. The training is delivered through weekly 2-hour workshops that progressively build essential digital skills while promoting learner independence and the creative application of digital tools.
Looking ahead, we plan a thorough evaluation six months into employment to assess the long-term impact of this integrated training. This marks the first time the DSL's training is embedded within an academic course and provides an exciting opportunity to further explore and expand the successful integration of digital skills training into programmes with a predominantly qualitative orientation.
