Enhancing Wikimedia Education: Mobile-Friendly Writing & Contribution

Originally prepared for EduWiki Conference 2025, Bogotá

Note: This session was scheduled for EduWiki Conference 2025 but, unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to an unexpected situation with airport security during transit. However, I believe the learning and insights are still worth sharing—so here is the session in blog format for the Wikimedia community.

ZI Jony, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

👋 Greetings, Wikimedia educators and program leaders!

Imagine you are a student, a volunteer, or an educator using only a mobile phone. You want to edit Wikipedia, improve articles, or contribute to your education program, but the screen is small, the interface is clunky, and many important features are hidden.

Yes—this is the daily reality for a huge number of contributors, especially in the Global South.

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• Why mobile-friendly editing matters
• Key pain points with the current mobile editing experience
• Practical tools and tactics we can apply today
• Future ideas for programs that are mobile-inclusive

Let’s treat this like a friendly training session—we’re learning together.

📱 Why Mobile-Friendly Matters in Wikimedia Education

In Bangladesh and many other countries, mobile devices are the primary and often only way students and newcomers access the internet.

During workshops, I’ve seen:

• Contributors write entire Wikipedia articles on mobile keyboards.
• Students struggling to add citations with VisualEditor on mobile.
• Volunteers discouraged by constant interface glitches.

This is not a small issue. It’s a systemic barrier to inclusivity.

🔍 What Are the Main Challenges?

From field experience and interviews with new editors, here are the biggest hurdles:

1. VisualEditor on mobile is fragile

• Difficult to select templates or references
• Article layout breaks on smaller screens

2. No easy access to user talk pages

• Newcomers can’t reply easily
• Community interaction becomes frustrating

3. Lack of quick links and shortcuts

• Editing tools are buried under menus
• No mobile version of Twinkle or similar tools

4. Community portals and project pages are unreadable

• Tables, navboxes, and templates do not scale properly
• Leads to disengagement from WikiProjects

🛠️ What Can We Do Right Now?

While we wait for long-term software changes, here are a few immediate actions educators and program leaders can take:

🧩 Use Mobile Sandbox Templates

Create or adapt a mobile-friendly template for sandboxes. Use large buttons, clear instructions, and step-by-step guides.

👥 Teach With Mobile Live Demonstrations

Don’t just show laptop workflows—run edit-a-thons or training using mobile side-by-side. Let learners see themselves as mobile contributors.

✍️ Encourage Short-Form Contributions

Focus on:

• Adding references
• Fixing grammar
• Translating short sentences
  All of these work well on mobile and build confidence.

🔗 Use Wikistories and Short Descriptions

Wikistories (available on some projects) are great for mobile storytelling and education. Short Descriptions are another quick-win feature.

📣 Future Ideas for Mobile-Friendly Programs

• Create mobile-first edit-a-thons with pre-prepared task lists.
• Design education toolkits that assume only phone access.
• Advocate for more community tech wishlist items focused on mobile.

And most importantly: listen to mobile-only contributors. Their insights are key to the future of our movement.

🙌 Final Words: From Missed Session to Shared Learning

I was truly looking forward to presenting this in Bogotá. Unfortunately, due to transit issues at Istanbul Airport, I couldn’t board the final flight to Colombia—despite having my visa approved and documents ready.

Instead of letting this knowledge go unused, I decided to publish it here. I hope you find it helpful for your own programs and education initiatives.

For a related session that was presented, please check out Bukola’s talk on Impactful Education Newsletters—we originally coordinated together.

Thank you to everyone who supported me, especially the organizers who offered alternative options even during such a tough situation. Inshallah, I’ll be with you in the next EduWiki, with more field stories and practical tools to share.

For questions or collaboration, feel free to connect with me on Meta.