Professors from Spanish universities take the first steps toward a collaborative network of educators who teach using Wikipedia

También hay versión en español de esta entrada

At the end of last June, a handful of educators who have been using Wikipedia in the classroom for several years gathered in Madrid, brought together by InnovaWiki, the Consolidated Teaching Innovation Group on Wikipedia at Rey Juan Carlos University. This first in-person meeting of university faculty from across Spain aimed to lay the foundation for a Collaborative Network in higher education. Many projects have already led to publications, keynotes, workshops, and awards, and it was time to build a learning community of practice based on knowledge sharing and trust.

During the seminar, which brought together around twenty professors from various disciplines and thirteen Spanish universities, participants shared experiences and methodologies that can be applied in the classroom using platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and OpenStreetMap. The seminar also addressed the broader use of Wikimedia projects to create open educational materials, foster digital citizenship skills, and promote collaboration with external communities through service-learning and citizen science initiatives. These efforts aim to support the transfer of scientific knowledge to society in open and free environments, with particular attention to the principles of open science. The meeting is aligned with the global Eduwiki movement, which has held notable gatherings in San Sebastián, Belgrade, and Bogotá—events in which participants of this seminar have also taken part. The ongoing work of the Wiki Education Foundation, the Wikipedia & Education User Group, and the motto “Wikipedia belongs to Education” inspires participants to continue building networks.

The event highlighted practices such as the creation of scientific content on the encyclopedia, rubric-based assessment, peer review, the ‘non-intervention in the encyclopedia’ approach for critical analysis without direct editing, and the incorporation of multimedia formats—such as videos, infographics, 3D recreations, or open maps—to enrich learning. Likewise, the importance of adapting activities to the students’ level and context was emphasized, encouraging active participation and social entrepreneurship in undergraduate and master’s capstone projects. The Universidad Isabel I emphasized the potential for creating micro-credentials, summer courses, and fostering alliances in the fields of science communication, open science, and service-learning. Rey Juan Carlos University highlighted the opportunity to embrace Wikipedia as a collective knowledge space to be nurtured and valued by universities. Meanwhile, the University of Murcia underscored the value of working within a real and accessible laboratory to negotiate and understand how knowledge is organized and structured from different perspectives.

Regarding the background of this project, it is worth highlighting the work of the Wikipedia Clubs, which were supported by the Foundation for Knowledge madri+d and Wikimedia Spain Chapter, in collaboration with various universities in Madrid. One of the most recent initiatives in this context has been the Wikipedia Club on science and innovation, developed at URJC as part of the annual UCCI+I program, with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

As a result of the meeting, participants committed to creating a transmedia monograph that will compile, in a practical and accessible way, the teaching experiences with Wikipedia developed over the years. This publication aims to expand the collaborative network and inspire new synergies among universities.

This community of educators is committed to a higher education that is open to society, grounded in pedagogical innovation and the values of free culture. It promotes the co-creation of knowledge and the development of digital, social, and ethical competencies as an integral part of undergraduate and postgraduate learning paths. Every small engagement with Wikipedia renews its user base, creates better readers, and encourages the responsible use of sources and data—contributing to a digital network with more responsible, sustainable, and diverse content, built with care by artisanal hands.

If you want more information or would like to join this network, you can write to gr_doc.innovawiki@urjc.es