Integrating Special Collections into the Composition Classroom: A Case Study of Collaborative Digital Curriculum (RLI 283, 2013)

I n 2010, 73% of college students reported using the online encyclopedia Wikipedia for course-related research.1 As the encyclopedia becomes a given in student research processes, librarians and teachers are increasingly recognizing the importance of teaching students about this source. Wikipedia also offers a number of opportunities for librarians and academics interested in digital curriculum development. The following case study describes a collaborative project to embed Wikipedia and special collections into the student experience. The project was designed by authors Matt Vetter, PhD candidate and teaching associate in English, and Sara Harrington, head of arts and archives, at Ohio University. New to her position, Harrington wanted to collaborate with a teaching faculty member in a way in which “the boundaries separating the disciplines begin to blur, and the partners are in the space of collaboration or of listening together in this special way. The partners find a language and common goals.”2 The project was executed with significant contribution from Bill Kimok, Judith Connick, and Doug McCabe, staff at Ohio University Libraries’ Robert E. and Jean R. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections.