Wikimedia:Starting an education program/Supporting Instructors
Supporting Instructors
Throughout the term, you'll also need a plan of how you will support the instructors. Most programs have some form of Wikipedia Ambassadors (discussed in depth in the next section). Think about what sort of resources you'll want to provide instructors, such as brochures, assignment design mentoring, Ambassador support, wiki code support. Remember, your education program's goal (likely) isn't to turn instructors into Wikipedians; instead, you're expecting them to assign their students to contribute — and develop enough expertise about Wikipedia to guide their students to contribute effectively. So how can you make it easier for instructors to interact as they need to without requiring them to be Wikipedia editors?
One of the most important ways that you can plan to support instructors is to have a designated contact to whom they can escalate problems. For most situations, this can be a Wikipedia Ambassador who is working with their class, but in cases in which the Ambassador is the problem, having another point of contact is always a good idea. Remember, you want to make sure the instructor feels supported throughout the process. This will increase their odds of success as well as instructor retention for future terms.
