Edith Sheffer Twsia

Germany & the World Wars: Creating Lives on the Wiki
Edith Sheffer, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in the Humanities, Stanford University

Overlapping themes
July 2009
2
10th Sakai Conference - Boston, MA, U.S.A.

Open collaboration: shifting the paradigm of teaching and learning
The students of History 138A and TA Andrew Visser
TWISA Organizing Committee, Judges, and Sponsors
Sakai Community
KeliAmann, CourseWork
Christine Doherty, CourseWork
Allyson Hobbs, History
Alan Mikhail, History
Robert Moeller, History
Bradley Naranch, History
James Ward, History
July 2009
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This Sakai project in the Humanities suggests how…
July 2009
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Even simple tools can have powerful impact

The missing link in a survey course
July 2009
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Basic course requirements
Lectures, discussion section
Books, Document Reader
Analytical paper
Midterm and Final
The challenge: making history come alive
A platform to:
Intensify student interest
Deepen historical understanding
Stimulate excitement

The origin of the idea: partnering with Sakai
July 2009
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Consultation with CourseWork
Multiple options,
multiple outcomes
Wiki Tool: Creating Lives

Thinking through history
July 2009
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“The weekly Identities assignments were somewhat like the weekly problem sets in math or science classes. In a math or physics class, it is not enough to just listen to the lecture and read the textbook; the student actually has to practice solving real problems. The Identities Project […] forced me to consider how real people actually make decisions in historical events; I felt that I was, in essence, ‘solving’ the problem of ‘how and why do ordinary people act in history’ by ‘practicing’ on my historical avatar every week.”

Students created historical lives on Sakai
July 2009
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Just 3 restrictions…

First, the students constructed a childhood
July 2009
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Each week, the students posted their characters’ life choices on the wiki
The Fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification
Cold War and the Iron Curtain

Wiki page example
July 2009
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Wiki page example
July 2009
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Wiki page example
July 2009
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Wiki page example
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The Sakai wiki site
July 2009
Update questions posted each week
Students presented their characters during lecture
Students shared research links
Character wiki pages

High community standards sustained the quality of the work and a productive exchange of ideas
July 2009
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January 30, 1933
It’s happened. I cannot believe my eyes as I look down into the streets. They’ve done it. They’ve chosen an extremist to lead our country to God knows where. I thought Hindenburg would know better than that, but apparently he’s not thinking either. The street is bursting with people. I don’t want Eva going out there alone. Or with the children.
February 27, 1933
The Reichstag is no more. Now there is no longer even the illusion of a democracy, for even the building is gone. I don’t think it can be reversed any longer. They’re going to crack down on the communists. I don’t necessarily disagree, but I’m afraid what might happen next. What to expect? I don’t know what to think. It’s only Eva that keeps me from losing hope entirely. She’s always so optimistic. It’s silly sometimes but she makes me feel better.
March 23, 1933
Hitler can do anything he pleases now. Anything. My thoughts are in disarray. Panic.
May 1, 1933
People think it’s a holiday. They are out in the

Sakai empowered students with a rare degree of autonomy and freedom
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Students averaged 1,121 words per post, equivalent toa 4½ page paper every week for nine weeks, including the weeks of the midterm and final paper
High Investment
Students went far beyond the required material, researching scholarly works, images, even things like period-appropriate children’s names and food specialties
The open platform inspired authorship, imagination, curiosity, and understanding
Self-motivation
Students said they grew attached to their avatars, pursued individual interests through them, and discussed them with friends and family
Identification

Understanding – and complicating – history
July 2009
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Edith Sheffer Twsia

by Michael Korcuska on Jul 09, 2009

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Edith Sheffer Twsia — Presentation Transcript