Green digital skills at Wikimedia

Wikimedistas de Uruguay, in collaboration with the Climate Justice Working Group and Wikimedia Projects, and with the support of the Wikimedia Foundation and the Inter-American Development Bank, organized the course and professional training program Green Digital Skills on Wikimedia.

Participation and methodology

The course received 500 registrations from people from Latin America, of which 164 actively participated in some of the modules, and 32 submitted a final work proposal. The course ran from the end of April to the end of May, providing the opportunity for people to participate in the Wiki for Human Rights campaign (in Spanish).

Over the course of five weeks, both synchronous and asynchronous sessions were offered, which included an introduction to the Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata), activities to develop on Wikimedia platforms, and discussions with experts from the IDB and the Wikimedia movement on the role of a green digital citizenship. In addition, specific workshops on Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia were held with the participation of members of WikiAcción Peru, Wikimedia Argentina and WhoseKnowledge? 

Course innovations

The course was hosted in WikiLearn, where the theoretical material was uploaded and the exchange forums were held. Most of the activities were designed so that the interventions took place directly on the Wikimedia platforms. From Wikimedistas de Uruguay, we introduced innovations focused on the experience of new editors of Wikimedia projects.

Instead of synchronous meetings to explain how to add references, internal links or images, we taught participants how to activate and use the Newcomer tasks, which allowed them to make their first edits in a guided and successful way, without their edits getting reverted.

Despite their benefits, the Newcomer tasks present technical limitations for the integration of predetermined thematic lists (e.g., specific climate change and environment topics). We worked with Felipe Schenone (User:Sophivorus) to implement improvements to Wikiprojects that facilitate suggested tasks based on thematic areas, based on Wikiproyecto:Cambio climático. Felipe details these efforts in the WikiHerramientas: How to revive and enhance Wikiprojects (in Spanish).

Evaluation and feedback

At the end of the course, a survey was conducted to evaluate different aspects of the program. Most participants stated that they had acquired digital skills relevant to their professional lives and valued the Wikimedia platforms as a means to disseminate information about the climate crisis. There was a more mixed degree of agreement as to whether the course was useful in developing skills to be agents of change for the environment.

The practical approach of the course was positively highlighted by the participants: 

“The teaching methodology of the course was very good. The tutorials in each module helped me to better understand the Wikimedia project environment. In addition, the practical approach and detailed explanations facilitated learning and allowed me to apply the acquired knowledge.”

Currently, we are conducting in-depth interviews with the course participants, to better understand which aspects worked and which ones could be improved. From Wikimedistas de Uruguay, we have identified several areas for improvement, such as: 

• Better management of course expectations in terms of course load and final assignments.
• Less focus on the technical aspects of editing on the platforms and more thematic emphasis on environment and climate change, highlighting materials produced by relevant agencies such as the IDB to be incorporated into Wikipedia. 
• Encourage exchange among participants and extend the duration of the course for a more complete exploration. 

Impact and Acknowledgements

From the Climate Justice Working Group and Wikimedia Projects, we positively evaluated that the course was held during the Wiki for Human Rights campaign as it gave cohesion to the work, increased participation in community spaces and workshops, and made visible a Wikimedia movement in action, with volunteers and active communities; Wikimedia affiliates organizing activities; and support and exchange spaces for peer-to-peer learning.  

Participants highlighted the value of regional exchange: 

“I thank you very much for the learning space. It was very nourishing and being a space available for the entire South American region, I was able to learn about various environmental issues at the regional level.”

“Thank you very much for these campaigns! Disseminating about human rights and the environment is extremely important, and fostering commitment and involvement even more so.”

From Wikimedistas de Uruguay, we thank Berna Gaitán Otarán for her work and commitment in the development of the course and Titi Nicola for the facilitation. We congratulate the selected interns: Cristina Julia Agüero, Elizabeth Méndez, Eloisa Larrea Montaño, Lucila Trussi, Maritza Harleth Cerda Cerda, Nathaly Montoya Ariza, Paula Blanco, Paula Francisca Vidal Bustamante and Vania Anett Graneros Flores, who are developing projects to improve the contents on environmental issues, climate change and sustainability in Wikimedia projects.