Learning to Write Together on Wikibooks: The WikiLatih Wikibuku Experience in Jember

For all participants, WikiLatih Wikibuku was their first experience writing and editing on Wikibooks. Although several participants from the University of Jember had previously been introduced to Wikiquote through other Wikimedia activities, none had contributed to Wikibooks before taking part in this training. The program involved 43 participants from the University of Jember (UNEJ) and Muhammadiyah University of Jember (UM Jember). All participants from UM Jember were university students, while the UNEJ group was also predominantly made up of students, with one participant already working professionally. Under the theme “Wikibooks: Documenting Culture and Sharing Knowledge,” participants were encouraged to develop content related to Jember’s culture and local knowledge. They learned how to structure a book, add references, collaborate with other contributors, and use media from Wikimedia Commons to enrich their writing.

Before the in-person workshop, participants were invited to attend a pre-training session introducing Wikibooks, Wikimedia Commons, and the writing themes that would be developed during the program. Although only about half of the participants attended the online session, all materials were shared through the communication group so that everyone could study them independently. Throughout the training, participants discovered that writing in an open knowledge environment differs from the writing tasks they are usually familiar with. In addition to presenting information clearly, they also needed to ensure that their work could be understood by a broader audience, supported by reliable references, and improved by other contributors in the future.

The program resulted in 48 Wikibooks works, consisting of 38 individual works and 10 collaborative projects. Most focused on Jember’s culture, culinary heritage, historical sites, tourism destinations, and other forms of local knowledge. The collaborative works also explored topics that had previously been documented through the Digital Ethnography Jember project, including Jember Batik, Situs Duplang, Pasar Tanjung, Jember Pendalungan bridal attire, the Tobacco Museum, and other local heritage sites and cultural assets.

However, five individual works focused on cultural topics from participants’ hometowns outside Jember. Some participants explained that they felt more connected to their own local cultures than to Jember. This became an interesting reflection for the organizers. Writing about local knowledge requires not only technical skills but also the confidence to conduct research. Within Wikimedia projects, knowledge does not always have to come from personal experience; it can also be built through research, observation, and the responsible use of sources.

Initially, Wikimedia Commons was introduced simply as a repository of freely licensed media that participants could use to illustrate their Wikibooks works. Uploading original photographs was not part of the plan. However, several participants became interested in using their own images, which led the organizers to add a Wikimedia Commons practice session during the in-person workshop. Through this additional session, participants learned about media uploads, open licensing, and the importance of sharing documentation that others can reuse. As a result, participants uploaded 25 photographs to Wikimedia Commons.

The evaluation results indicated a positive learning experience. Among the participants who completed the survey, most identified learning how to write and edit on Wikibooks as the most valuable skill they gained. More than half described the editing process as easy and enjoyable, while others felt comfortable using the platform after some additional practice. Participants highlighted challenges related to understanding Wikibooks’ editing features, technical issues, using references, and learning about media licensing and copyright on Wikimedia Commons. Despite these challenges, they appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with others, meet new volunteers, and learn in a supportive environment. Notably, 78.6% of respondents expressed interest in participating in future Wikimedia training activities.

For many participants, this program became their entry point into the broader Wikimedia ecosystem. Beyond learning how to contribute to Wikibooks, they gained a better understanding of how knowledge and documentation can be created, shared, and improved collaboratively through Wikimedia projects. The enthusiasm shown during the training, including participants’ initiative to contribute their own photographs to Wikimedia Commons, demonstrated how a first experience with Wikibooks can lead to broader engagement across Wikimedia projects.