How to be a Wikimedia sysop/What is consensus?

From Wikiversity

The following pages are transclusions and are not actually "here" in the fullest sense. These are here to give you an overview some core products of the Wikiversity process. Red links here should be disregarded since transclusion does not cascade through subpages.

Wikiversity:Vision

[edit] Vision statements

Here are some possible vision statements. Feel free to create alternative versions, make comments, improve, etc.:

Possible Wikiversity Vision Statements Our vision is to create a world where everyone has resources to freely learn about anything and everything, both known and unknown, in order to better themselves and society. Our vision is to create a world in which everyone can freely access and develop learning resources in any topic, and to build knowledge for themselves and society. Wikiversity's vision is to create freely accessible and editable learning resources for all people and subject areas.

[edit] Extended vision statement

[A vision needs more than a single sentence statement (though it needs that too!) - so this section is to develop such a vision.]

Wikiversity intends to be a comprehensive repository of learning resources and knowledge in all subjects, for all ages and types of learners. It also intends to be a space for learning - through collaborating, participating, discussing, and questioning. Wikiversity strives to create an open platform in which people can connect with others in order to learn - as well as offering a means for self-study, or creating a more personalised space for learning. Wikiversity is also open to questioning and discussion around how Wikiversity works - it is a self-reflexive experiment in learning, the 'wiki way'.

Many individual visions exist for Wikiversity, just as many methods and ideologies exist around learning. For example, some people like to think of Wikiversity as an evolution of the ancient Grecian discursive model of learning, and others believe that it should be a more formalised, didactic system. In practice, Wikiversity strives to be as inclusive of these visions as possible - though it does operate within a wiki methodology, and therefore does have a strong bias towards openness and collaboration. However, true to its experimental roots, Wikiversity is in a constant engagement with how best to provide for an open learning platform and repository. Your own vision is welcome...

[edit] Detailed vision

• A vision also needs meat on the bones. Thus, a detailed vision for 2009 is currently being fleshed out - contributions welcome.

[edit] No vision statement

• Is a vision statement necessary, in addition to a mission statement? (e.g., perhaps the Vision could be considered as the package of Motto, Slogan, Mission, Strategy, etc.?)

[edit] Connection with sister projects

• Check how the structure of vision, mission, goals, slogans, mottos, etc. is set up on other WMF projects, and the WM foundation itself.
• Check how the proposed WV vision connects/disconnects with sister projects and the WMF.

[edit] See also

• Category:Wikiversity vision
• Mission statements and vision statements (Wikipedia)
• Approved proposal
• History
• Mission
• Motto - Contest
• Slogan
• /Historical perspective
• /2009
• /2010

[edit] Wikimedia Foundation

• wmf:Vision

Wikiversity:Mission

[edit] Mission statement

[edit] Notes

• See more on Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity?
• In the fulfillment of its mission, other tasks and goals may be initiated and developed by participants to support learning and the creation of new content.

[edit] See also

• Template:Mission
• Mission statement from approved Wikiversity project proposal
• Wikiversity:Mission/Initial development
• Wikiversity:Vision
• Wikiversity as a Wikimedia sister project#Scope and Mission - should be transferred to Wikiversity:Mission
• Wikiversity:Research guidelines
• Wikiversity:Wikiversity#Our Mission

[edit] Wikimedia Foundation

• wmf:Mission

Wikiversity:Consensus

This page is considered a guideline on Wikiversity. It has general acceptance among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow. However, it is not set in stone and should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Shortcut:

This page is to describe how consensus is relevant to Wikiversity, and to provide guidance for Wikiversity participants in using this principle in action.

[edit] Wikiversity consensus

[edit] Introduction

The wiki process typically goes by creating consensus. Building consensus helps the work of Wikiversity only if participants are learning from developing a common view. Consensus is typically reached as a natural product of the editing process: a change or an addition to a page will either stand or be challenged. Letting an edit stand suggests that one consents to that edit. In the case of community-wide issues, such as policy changes, community-wide participation and consensus is necessary. In the case of a specific learning resource, if substantial disagreement regarding appropriate content or approach remain after substantial discussion, it may be productive to consider creating multiple resources.

[edit] Definition

Consensus is both a process and a product of discussion in order to construct a shared understanding and a broad agreement about a particular proposal/process/resource etc. Consensus within the Wikiversity community is formed through a process by which the community discusses a particular issue, and, after thorough discussion, reflects what the community is thinking. Consensus usually means that a large majority of community members who have discussed a proposal have provided good reasons for either adopting or rejecting a given proposal - however, any majority of opinions in a discussion or poll is only an indicator of consensus, and not the consensus itself. Evaluating consensus, therefore, is a complex process of ascertaining what the 'mood' of the community is, attempting to reflect the mood of the community as a whole, and not simply a majority within the community.

Wikiversity's decision-making process is fundamentally based in consensus, in that it is always attempted to reflect the wishes of the community as a whole, rather than a majority. When people do not fully agree with a given proposal, the proposal should be modified to satisfy as many people as possible, if not the entire community.

[edit] A guarantor of academic freedom

The consensus process within the Wikiversity community is meant to be a guarantor, not an inhibitor, of academic freedom.

• Consensus does not function as a way to disrupt Wikiversity or hinder the work of Wikiversity editors. Wikiversity participants who are productively editing content development projects and learning resources do not have to justify their work by demonstrating that community consensus exists supporting the pages they create and their editing of those pages. Wikiversity participants are free to create new pages and new educational content as long as their efforts support the educational mission of Wikiversity. There might only be a single Wikiversity participant who is interested in a particular topic or only a minority of discussion participants who will speak in favor of having a page for a particular topic, but there is no requirement to establish consensus before learning resources about such a topic can be developed.
• Consensus is not established just by counting votes. Wikiversity is guided by ideas that are in harmony with the education-oriented mission of the project. In judging consensus, it is the responsibility of all community members to give the most weight to rational arguments that support positions and points of view that are in harmony with the Wikiversity mission. Community members should assign less weight to discussion comments or votes that provide no rational argument to justify a point of view or that disrupt the project.

[edit] Who evaluates consensus?

Consensus is not evaluated by any one person - evaluating consensus is also a discursive (and contestable) process - meaning that someone can propose consensus has been achieved, and someone else can disagree, meaning that the discussion continues. In certain circumstances, a particular person is given the responsibility for evaluating consensus - for example, the conferring of custodianship status, which is given to a bureaucrat. However, this decision, as with anything in Wikiversity, is up for discussion and/or debate.

[edit] Etymology of the word "consensus"

The Wikipedia article "Consensus decision-making" provides an etymology of "consensus": (Latin) "cum meaning 'with' or 'together with', and sentire meaning to 'think' or 'feel'. Thus, etymologically, 'consensus' means to 'think or feel together'"; and indicates that "as a decision-making process, consensus aims to be:

• "Inclusive: As many stakeholders as possible should be involved in the consensus decision-making process.
• "Participatory: The consensus process should actively solicit the input and participation of all decision-makers.
• "Co-operative: Participants in an effective consensus process should strive to reach the best possible decision for the group and all of its members, rather than opt to pursue a majority opinion, potentially to the detriment of a minority.
• "Egalitarian: All members of a consensus decision-making body should be afforded, as much as possible, equal input into the process. All members have the opportunity to table, amend and veto or "block" proposals.
• "Solution-oriented: An effective consensus decision-making body strives to emphasize common agreement over differences and reach effective decisions using compromise and other techniques to avoid or resolve mutually-exclusive positions within the group."

[edit] See also

• Wikiversity:Polls

[edit] External resources

• Wikipedia article on consensus decision-making
• Wikipedia policy on consensus
• Wiktionary definition of consensus

Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity?

This page is an official policy on English Wikiversity. It has wide acceptance among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Shortcut: WV:IS

About Wikiversity Introductions to Wikiversity Welcome to Wikiversity Guided tours An introduction for teachers What is Wikiversity? What Wikiversity is not The Wikiversity FAQ Wikiversity culture More about Wikiversity... Presentations about Wikiversity Navigating content Faculties Schools Learning and teaching Learning projects Learning resources Content development Interactive content Learning models Adding content Research Research guidelines Research community Community Colloquium | News Help desk Community Portal Chat | Contact "Wikiversity Reports" - podcast Reference Mission Policies History of Wikiversity Relation to Wikimedia projects Organisation Services Statistics Help Help | Questions

Contents 1 Wikiversity:Vision 2 Vision statements 3 Extended vision statement 4 Detailed vision 5 No vision statement 6 Connection with sister projects 7 See also 7.1 Wikimedia Foundation 8 Wikiversity:Mission 9 Mission statement 10 Notes 11 See also 11.1 Wikimedia Foundation 12 Wikiversity:Consensus 13 Wikiversity consensus 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Definition 13.3 A guarantor of academic freedom 14 Who evaluates consensus? 15 Etymology of the word "consensus" 16 See also 17 External resources 18 Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity? 19 Wikiversity is a learning community 20 Wikiversity for learning 21 Wikiversity for teaching 22 Wikiversity for researching 23 Wikiversity for serving 24 Wikiversity for sharing materials 25 Wikiversity for sharing ideas 26 Wikiversity for sharing community 27 See also 28 Wikiversity:What Wikiversity is not 29 What Wikiversity is not 30 See also 31 End of transclusions 32 Notes

[edit] Wikiversity is a learning community

Wikiversity is a community effort to learn and facilitate others' learning. You can use Wikiversity to find information or ask questions about a subject you need to find out more about. You can also use it to share your knowledge about a subject, and to build learning materials around that knowledge.

The basic definition of a university in Latin is universitas magistrorum et scholarium - a community of teaching and learning. The basic definition of a wiki is software that allows collaborative creation of online documents. Wikiversity combines wiki technology and culture with a variety of learning communities and projects. Wikiversity is the viciversitas magistrorum et scholarium - a wiki-based community of teaching and learning.

See below for ideas on how you can help yourself and others or help us help you.

[edit] Wikiversity for learning

In Wikiversity, you can find learning materials of all types to use yourself as self-study materials. If you are interested in learning about a subject, browse our content to see if there is anything that suits your needs. It would also be helpful if you comment on the materials you use, so that we can continually improve our resources.

Also, if you want to meet other people who are interested in your subject, you may want to join a learning community devoted to that subject (or help create one if one doesn't yet exist). You may find someone there who can help you with your learning, or you may want to help someone else with what you already know (or have just found out).

Please help Wikiversity to develop its education potential at the learning and learning projects pages.

[edit] Wikiversity for teaching

Wikiversity is designed to collect a range of learning materials for various uses. These materials are designed, not just for self-study, but also as material which can be used in your classroom. What we aim to provide is a way of searching for content easily, which can be printed/saved and used in class - as well as a lesson plan to guide you through this material.

As Wikiversity is only just getting started, there is hardly any content here yet. We would really appreciate any content you have that you would be willing to provide, and maybe also an indication of what you have done with it, and how that worked. In this way, we hope to build a living resource of real use to teachers, not only in their classrooms, but also as somewhere to improve teaching practice through sharing materials and experiences.

Please help Wikiversity to develop its teaching potential at the education and teaching pages.

[edit] Wikiversity for researching

Wikiversity will offer a space not just for hosting research, but also for facilitating research through creating researcher communities. Please help Wikiversity to do this by adding your ideas to Wikiversity:Research.

[edit] Wikiversity for serving

Wikiversity will offer opportunities for service and learning development in a variety of contexts. Please help Wikiversity to do this by adding your ideas to Wikiversity:Service.

[edit] Wikiversity for sharing materials

If you have learning materials that you think could be of use, you can add them to Wikiversity! Or, if you have an idea for how to help someone learn about a topic, you can start developing learning materials right here. However, if it's suitable for a textbook, it's best to add it at Wikibooks; if it's suitable for an encyclopedia, it's best to add it at Wikipedia. Textbooks at Wikibooks and resources elsewhere on the internet can be used as materials in a Wikiversity syllabus, and should generally be linked from the module rather than duplicated here.

See Wikiversity:Browse for links to our various sections of materials. You can also read adding content and naming conventions to guide you in adding content.

[edit] Wikiversity for sharing ideas

Wikiversity is also a place to share ideas - about how to teach, how to learn, what the best ways of facilitating learning are, what has worked in the past, and what hasn't. It is hoped that Wikiversity will (amongst other things) provide a platform for teachers and learners to form learning communities about learning.

[edit] Wikiversity for sharing community

As is obvious from the above, Wikiversity is a place to share community. It is hoped that Wikiversity will not only provide spaces for persons to form various communities of learning and discovery, but also provide a place where service, learning, and research can be integrated in meaningful ways that benefit individuals, larger communities, and our global society.

[edit] See also

• Wikiversity:Welcome - continue on this page if you come from there
• Introduction to Wikiversity - for new visitors
• The Wikiversity project proposal that was approved by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
• A video introduction to Wikiversity (.ogg format - requires ogg player, such as VLC media player)
• Wikiversity Reports - other multimedia content about the Wikiversity project.
• What Wikiversity is not
• History of Wikiversity
• Wikiversity (Meta)

Wikiversity:What Wikiversity is not

This proposed Wikiversity policy, guideline, or process is currently being voted on. Please participate in the current discussions. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus on the discussion page.

Shortcut: WV:NOT

About Wikiversity Introductions to Wikiversity Welcome to Wikiversity Guided tours An introduction for teachers What is Wikiversity? What Wikiversity is not The Wikiversity FAQ Wikiversity culture More about Wikiversity... Presentations about Wikiversity Navigating content Faculties Schools Learning and teaching Learning projects Learning resources Content development Interactive content Learning models Adding content Research Research guidelines Research community Community Colloquium | News Help desk Community Portal Chat | Contact "Wikiversity Reports" - podcast Reference Mission Policies History of Wikiversity Relation to Wikimedia projects Organisation Services Statistics Help Help | Questions

Note: Read the Wikiversity project proposal.

Wikiversity is a space for the creation and use of free learning materials and activities. This page outlines some of the things it does not do.

[edit] What Wikiversity is not

• A degree-granting institution: Wikiversity does not confer academically accredited degrees, diplomas, certificates, titles, etc. Be respectful towards other participants regardless of their age, academic background, or knowledge. Everyone has an important role to play in Wikiversity's development.

• A post-secondary institution: Wikiversity includes learning resources for all age groups. Wikiversity is only a university in the sense of a multilingual community of teachers, learners, and researchers ("universitas magistrorum et scholarium") dedicated to lifelong learning.

• A podium: Wikiversity resources and activities should promote learning above any personal opinions, beliefs, or biases that you may have. If you wish to express your personal take on someone or something, please do so in a way that is open, respectful, inclusive of academic participation, and informs participants on the issues that matter to you. Critical Analysis and academic lectures are two possibly ways to do this.

• A static project: Every day brings new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. Wikiversity will continue to change and develop to meet the needs of the Wikiversity community.

• Other Wikimedia projects: Wikipedia or Wikibooks may be better for you if you just want to read about a topic, but they may also be a good place to consolidate learning as well if you would rather help write an article, book, etc. without getting too involved in participation. There may be some overlap between projects, but each project maintains its own focus.

[edit] See also

• Wikiversity:What is Wikiversity?
• Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not

End of transclusions

[edit] Notes

See also Wikiversity:Catalyst