Introducing digital methods in a social sciences course: Creating e-portfolios on Wikipedia on feminist activists and female politicians of Central Asia

As a liberal arts institution AUCA promotes critical thinking and innovative methods of teaching and learning. With this proposal a team of two faculty members of Sociology department and a library staff member are working on a project that has an important mission and is aligned with the goals of the AMICAL conference. The project introduces new digital methods in Social Sciences courses. Students of two different courses, but both are from Social Sciences department will be involved in creating Wikipedia pages; in one of the courses on feminist activists and in another course on important political figures from the Central Asian region. This is a very important step in popularizing and raising the awareness about the people who have done important contribution to their societies. Also this project includes another element such as creating an online OER content. Students will learn how to use the digital tools such as Wikipedia and will learn to be up to date with the modern ways of interacting with knowledge and materials they have accumulated during the courses.

The Library staff conducts every semester training for students on what is OER, and this semester we will also ask our library colleagues to have a training on how to create pages on Wikipedia for this particular project.

From this session, librarians will learn new ways to help the students and faculty members to teach and learn. Faculty members will take aways new techniques on applying digital tools in Social Sciences courses.