Wikipedia U: Knowledge, Authority, and Liberal Education in the Digital Age

Leitch (English, Univ. of Delaware; Film Adaptation and Its Discontents) takes us on a wild journey into the world of Wikipedia by examining its impact on liberal education. Tracing the online forum's history, from its roots in 2001 to its current manifestation, Leitch primarily offers a discourse on authority. Basically it comes down to: Whom do you trust? Unlike conventional encyclopedias, Wikipedia uses crowdsourcing, its most distinguishing feature, as the source of knowledge on topics. From describing Stephen Colbert's amusing riffs on "wikiality" to Andrew Keen's The Cult of the Amateur, the author emphasizes the importance of knowing how and when to discount authority as well as identifying when to accept it. Teaching students critical skills to determine trustworthy resources as well as biases represents the essence and value of a liberal education, and is mirrored by Wikipedia's role in disseminating information. Leitch promotes the pedagogical value of Wikipedia by illustrating its use as a platform for student collaborative learning. He also includes exercises designed to provoke discussion.