Wikipedia learning lab at TUMO Stepanakert

Author:Irina Safaryan, Lilit Tarkhanyan (Wikimedia Armenia)

Summary: TUMO center in Stepanakert has proposed to the Stepanakert WikiClub Coordinator Irina Safaryan to manage the Wikipedia learning lab for 10 TUMO students.

TUMO Stepanakert and the Stepanakert WikiClub are playing a very important role in Artsakh’s school students life in terms of becoming a very talented, creative, smart generation and responsible citizens!

TUMO center in Stepanakert has proposed to the Stepanakert WikiClub Coordinator Irina Safaryan to manage the Wikipedia learning lab for 10 TUMO students. According to Irina it is a great idea and a step forward to improve Armenian Wikipedia especially with articles about Republic of Artsakh. Irina says: “I was excited for the invitation as I was the first person from Artsakh who would lead a learning lab at TUMO and share the knowledge and skills with younger generation”.

The students decided to write articles about 10 villages of Askeran Region which are closer to Stepanakert. So it was decided that 10 TUMO students will write 10 articles about Askeran region’s 10 villages in 10 days! What do we need for that? Of course students, information about above mentioned villages, a little group of photographers who would go through the villages and would bring photos for Wikimedia Commons which would then be added into the articles.

Before the launch of Wikipedia learning lab at TUMO Stepanakert Irina started conducting her research to find more information about the above mentioned villages. She met with historians and linguists and had discussions on many topics concerning those villages. As a result she collected lots of books and materials which helped the students to write the Wikipedia articles. The students also drove through all 10 villages to gather photos which they used to illustrate the articles.

During the workshops students have learned Wikipedia editing tools, uploading media files to Wikimedia Commons, analyze facts, improve Armenian typing skills, and how to prepare a complete and final report on all the work done during the 10 days.

In the end the students who created in Armenian Wikipedia 10 articles about 10 villages of Askeran region, became Stepanakert WikiClub members.

Irina says: “Wikipedia learning lab at TUMO Stepanakert was a good chance and great opportunity both for me and for Artsakh team to discover the little but very majestic place where we live, to learn more about our history and our heroes, not only the ordinary people who every day create history.

Discovering the world, the town, the place where you are living through the Wikipedia and let the others know, is a blessing for me and I try to make more people think that way”.

Tags:Wikipedia, Wikimedia Armenia, Stepanakert WikiClub, TUMO Stepanakert