Wikimedians of United Arab Emirates User Group/2023/Activity Reports
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For the first time, the Wikimedians of UAE User Group organized an open competition entitled "Harir", in pursuit of one of its goals for 2020, which is to organize competitions on regular basis to increase Arabic content on the encyclopedia.
The competition started from December 22 to January 22, 2023, and focused on several topics including tourist destinations, historical and archaeological sites, Arab artists, Arabic books, tales and fictional folk characters. Participants were free to choose the articles they wish to write about from a selection of topics.
- Awards
- The prizes for the top three winners were divided as follows:
- First Place: $500
- Second Place: $400
- Third Place: $300
- Special nominations were also added as follows:
- Special nomination for "new users": $200
- Special nomination for "Emirati Content": $200
- Special nomination for "Female Presence in Articles": $200
- Competition Terms
The organizing team of the competition has set conditions related to participation and articles, in order to facilitate the process of participation, evaluation and collection of points, and in a way that provides fair results for all participants. Participation Terms Participants are required to create a Wikipedia account and use that account only to create articles. Entries are for individuals only, no participation is accepted by joint institutions, entities, or accounts. If a participant wishes to participate in the competition, they must include their username on the lists of participants and add the article name and link after 24 hours of the creation to avoid repetition and keep track of participants’ activity. Be sure to respect other participants of the community and not publish any article that is booked on the list of articles. Participants must use the Hashtag #WUC once the article is published. The arbitration committee has the right to remove any user that does not apply the required conditions or ignores warnings and instructions sent to them on their Wikipedia account. participants can place a template "User participating in a free contest" template on their user page. Any participant who tampers with or violates the terms of the competition will be disqualified.
- Articles Terms
Participants are free to choose their articles as long as it is the competition’s scope of themes and meets Wikipedia articles criteria (notability) The minimum acceptable article size is 4 KB for Arab artists, tourist destinations, historical and archaeological sites. The minimum acceptable article size is 2 KB for Arabic books, Folklore and fictional tales. Created articles must be written in an appropriate structure, well-written and clear, well translated, and understandable, does not contain long and redundant sentences, and encyclopedic. Created articles must be well documented and includes verifiable sources. The article should contain an infobox, categories, and images (if found), which is in accordance with Wiki formatting. Any contributions done before or after the date of the competition will not be accepted by the Judges. Participants must use the Hashtag #WUC in the Article edit summary before the article is published.
- Competition Objectives
- Create articles in Arabic and allow participants to choose articles within the specified topics.
- Promote free knowledge and enrich Arabic content on various Wikimedia projects.
- Increase the Group's activities and contributers through the organization of competitions, workshops and training programs.
- Competition’s Outcomes
- 57 participants from different Arab countries contributed in the competition, with age groups ranging from: 50% for the age group between 26 and 35 years, 27.50% for the age group between 18 and 25 years, and 12.50% for the age group between 36 and 50 years.
- 87% of participants had previously contributed to Wikipedia, and the remaining percentage joined Wikipedia during the competition.
- The evaluation period for the participants lasted for more than a month, and the results showed the publication of 935 articles, including 59 articles related to Emirati content, and 135 articles related to females in various fields.
- Lessons learned
After the end of the competition, a questionnaire was shared with the participants in the competition to know their reactions to the competition, and when asked about their feedback in general, 50% of the votes identified the competition as very good, and more than 18% considered it excellent.
According to the participants, the competition was clear in terms of the rules and how to publish translated articles, one participant stated that the competition helped them develop themselves. Participants thought that the method used in the competition by giving participants the freedom to choose articles was good as it gave room for freedom of choice and creativity.
On the other hand, some participants considered the duration of the competition is somewhat short, and the orientation videos of how to participate in the competition were posted later in the competition.
Some participants also thought that enlisting their name in the participants’ list was difficult. while others saw that the evaluation system needs to be improved. Also, having a sufficient period of time to promote any competition before its launch, and not limiting the competition to creating new articles from scratch, as there are many important articles that needs to be developed.
One of the judges' opinions about the competition was that it was good, as it defines the topics in general, and leaves users free to write articles within these topics, but the participation terms were misunderstood by some users.
Jeddah University Training Program
edit- About program
A collaborative training program held between the Wikimedians of UAE Users Group, the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Ratal Alkalimat, specialized in translation and content writing. The program lasted 7 weeks, from December 12 to January 31, and 32 students from the University of Jeddah's College of Languages and Translation took part as part of one of their graduation requirements.
- Organizers
The Wikimedia of UAE Users Group was responsible with teaching students how to edit Wikipedia and assigning tasks to them throughout the training term. The group conducted two training sessions on how to edit Wikipedia during the first week of the program, and then began working on the assignments allocated to them, while Ratal Alkalimat reviewed the translation quality before the page was transferred for publishing.
- Objectives
- collaborations with universities in the Arab World to train students and develop their skills to contribute to various Wikimedia projects including Wikipedia
- Get a thorough understanding of how to edit on Wikipedia and contribute to the recruitment of more contributors by providing instruction on the fundamentals of Wikipedia editing at the start of each training session.
- Build partnerships both locally and internationally with reliable sources of data
- Improving students' translation skills and providing them with the opportunity to acquire new terms through the training's range of articles
- Setting a specified period for handing over tasks and teaching them the speed of work will qualify them for the labor market.
- Methods
A research strategy was devised that centered on giving articles in English and translating them into Arabic or vice versa. The research strategy includes focusing on a variety of themes such as history, medicine, business, media, literature, science, art, and music. Every week, the work distribution process would send them an article or two on a different topic.
To ensure the program's success, students had to first submit the translation file for evaluation by the translation team (Ratala Kalalamt). After approving the translation and making the necessary changes, the student publishes the article on the field, and the Wikimedians of UAE Users Group team takes up the work of assessing Wikipedia's editorial matters. Also, ensure that it is a perfect article with all of the essential parts, such as an information box, internal links, references, ratings, portal bar, and so on.
If the article is incomplete or contains problems, the team sends thorough notes to the student and short videos describing how to rectify the fault if necessary, so that the problem is understood as a whole and any inaccuracies are addressed before being published on Wikipedia.
- Outcomes
Over 230 articles were distributed to the students, and almost 200 pieces were published in diverse subjects such as arts, theater, music, literature, history, biographies, and other artistic and scientific fields. The variety of article fields contributed to the kids' increased vocabulary. Students studied new vocabulary in a variety of disciplines while also polishing their translation talents and acquiring new experiences. Following the conclusion of the training period, a survey was distributed to the students in order to ascertain their reactions to the training period and to attempt to avoid any mistakes in the future. According to the survey, 55% thought the translation training program was good, 42% thought it was very good, and only 3% thought it was adequate, while the proportion of answers when asked about the abilities they obtained throughout the training period was about 75% in terms of work speed. And 71% for dealing with new themes, and 63% for the two alternatives of increasing translation skills and developing writing style. Learnings
- Learnings
According to the survey, the majority of the obstacles that the students encountered during the training period were a lack of time, a lack of comprehensive knowledge of editing issues, and the difficulty of dealing with websites. In the future, we will need to provide them more time or lower work in order to strike a balance between training requirements and trainee conditions. In the future, reliance will be placed on the programs and events dashboard, which displays all program details, including the number of participants and the tasks assigned to each of them, as well as the statistics that speak continuously automatically, which display the number of published articles, the number of modifications, and the total size of all articles. The outcomes are immediate.
Jeddah University training
edit- About the Program
A collaborative training program was conducted between Wikimedians of UAE, Jeddah University in Saudi Arabia, and Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation, specializing in translation and content writing. The program lasted for 11 weeks from March 19th to May 31st, with two students from the College of Languages and Translation at Jeddah University as participants for their graduation requirements.
- Organizers
Wikimedians of UAE was responsible for training the students on editing Wikipedia and assigning them tasks throughout the training period. In the first week of the program, instructional videos were sent to explain Wikipedia editing, followed by sharing a file containing assigned tasks for each student. Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation was responsible for reviewing the translation quality before the articles were published on the sandbox, while our team handled the final task of reviewing the articles and publishing them.
- Objectives
- Achieving one of the group's goals, which is to create partnerships with educational institutions, develop strategies, and collaborate with several universities in the UAE and beyond. This includes conducting courses at universities to train students and develop their skills to contribute to various Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia.
- Achieving a comprehensive understanding of editing on Wikipedia and increasing the number of contributors by providing training on the basics of Wikipedia editing at the beginning of each training program.
- Building partnerships with reliable data sources in the UAE and the Arab region, including collaboration with Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation.
- Strengthening translation skills for the students and providing them with an opportunity to learn new terminology through the diversity of articles provided during the training.
- Equipping them for the job market by setting specific deadlines for task submissions, enabling them to develop the skill of working quickly.
- Tools
A research plan was implemented, focusing on providing students with articles in both English and
Arabic and translating them. The research plan included various topics such as history, medicine, business, media, literature, science, art, and music. The work distribution mechanism focused on providing them with three intensive articles to work on.
To ensure the success of the program, students were required to submit their translation file for review by the translation team (Ratal Al Kalimat). After approval and incorporating any necessary changes, the student would publish the article on the sandbox. Then our team would review the editorial aspects of Wikipedia and ensure that it is a well-rounded article with essential elements such as infoboxes, hyperlinks, references, categories and more.
When the students published their articles on their sandboxes, the training team reviewed them and provided comprehensive feedback through written comments or recorded videos, demonstrating how to edit what needed to be edited if the articles were incomplete or required modifications.
In the last weeks of the training, the students were provided with three lists containing a variety of authors' names and books to be translated into Arabic, which the team members later added to Wikidata.
- Outputs
Eight articles were published on Wikipedia in various fields such as music, medicine, and arts. Additionally, 1400 names were translated into Arabic to be later added to Wikidata in both Arabic and English languages.
The diversity of article topics contributed to the linguistic progress of the students as they learned new terminology in various fields and polished their translation skills while gaining diverse experiences.
- Lessons Learned
After the training period, a questionnaire was shared with the students to gather feedback on their experience and identify areas for improvement in future iterations.
According to the questionnaire, the translation training program was considered excellent by the students, enabling them to acquire skills related to efficiency, dealing with new topics, developing translation skills, and improving their writing style.
According to the questionnaire, the difficulties encountered by the students during the training period included time constraints.
The Programs & Events Dashboard provided all the details related to the program, including the number of participants, tasks assigned to each of them, and automatic statistics showing the number of published articles, edits, and the size of each article.
Effat University Training Report Bilingual
edit- About the Program
A collaborative training program was held between Wikimedians of UAE User Group, Effat University in Saudi Arabia, and Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation, specialized in translation and content writing. The program lasted for 8 weeks from March 20th to May 11th, and it involved the participation of 9 students from the College of Languages and Translation and the College of Arts at Effat University as part of their graduation requirements.
- Organizers
The User Group was responsible for training the students on how to edit Wikipedia and assigning tasks to them throughout the training period. In the first week of the program, instructional videos were sent to explain how to edit on Wikipedia, followed by sharing a file containing the assigned tasks for each student. Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation was responsible for reviewing the translation quality before the articles were published on the sandbox, while the team handled the final task of reviewing the articles and publishing them.
- Objectives
- Achieving one of the group's goals, which is to create partnerships with educational institutions, develop strategies, and collaborate with several universities in the UAE and beyond. This includes conducting courses at universities to train students and develop their skills to contribute to various Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia. - Achieving a comprehensive understanding of editing on Wikipedia and increasing the number of contributors by providing training on the basics of Wikipedia editing at the beginning of each training program. - Building partnerships with reliable data sources in the UAE and the Arab region, including collaboration with Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation. - Strengthening students’ translation skills and providing them with an opportunity to learn new terminology through the diversity of articles provided during the training. - Equipping them for the job market by setting specific deadlines for task submissions, enabling them to develop the skill of working efficiently.
- Tools
A research plan was developed, focusing on providing students with articles in both English and Arabic for the translation department students, or writing articles in English on topics related to the Arab region for the College of Arts students. The research plan included various topics such as history, medicine, business, media, literature, science, art, and music. The work distribution mechanism focused on providing them with three intensive articles to work on.
To ensure the success of the program, students were required to submit their translation files first for review by the translation team (Ratal Al Kalimat). After approval and incorporating any necessary changes, the student would publish the article on the sandbox. Then our team would review the editorial aspects of Wikipedia and ensure that it is a well-rounded article with essential elements such as infoboxes, hyperlinks, references, categories and more.
When the students published their articles on their sandboxes, the training team would review them and provide comprehensive feedback through written comments or recorded videos, demonstrating how to edit what needed to be edited if the articles were incomplete or required modifications.
- Outputs
27 articles were published in various fields, such as arts, theater, music, literature, history, biographies, and other artistic and scientific domains.
The diversity of topics contributed to the linguistic progress of the students as they learned new terminology in various fields and polished their translation skills while gaining diverse experiences.
- Lessons Learned
After the training period, a questionnaire was shared with the students to gather feedback on their experience and identify areas for improvement in future iterations. According to the questionnaire, the students considered the translation training program to be very good, with 55% rating it as good and 34% rating it as very good. The questionnaire also indicated that approximately 67% of the students benefited in terms of speed of work, 89% in dealing with new topics, and around 33% in terms of developing translation skills and writing style. According to the questionnaire, the difficulties encountered by the students during the training period included time constraints and the complexity of topics. The Programs & Events Dashboard provided all the details related to the program, including the number of participants, tasks assigned to each of them, and automatic statistics showing the number of published articles, edits, and..
ADIBF Edit-a-thon
editAs part of the events organized by the Wikimedians of UAE User Group for the year 2023, which aims to enrich Arabic digital content in general and Wikimedia projects in particular, the group organized an Edit-a-Thon during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, held from May 22nd to May 28th, 2023, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. The Edit-a-Thon took place both physically and virtually, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
During this event, the group focused on several projects, including Wikipedia, Wikiquote, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata. Participants had the opportunity to contribute in person by joining the team at the designated booth or virtually through online participation.
- Goals
- Attracting new individuals to introduce them to the group's activities and encouraging them to join the Wikimedia community.
- Building a community of editors and enthusiasts for Wikimedia projects and enhancing their commitment to volunteer work and the dissemination of free knowledge.
- Focusing on Wikiquote project and revitalizing it by adding new quotes and pages.
- Including special photos of the sessions held at the exhibition and the participating publishing houses in the exhibition.
- Tools
"Research Plan: We reached out to publishing houses, specialized websites, and platforms that focus on publishing e-books in order to provide us with a list of open-source books that can be relied upon during the Edit-a-Thon to add free-source quotations to Wikiquote. We obtained a list of 100 open-source books available on Abjad’s platform, and we collaborated with the platform itself to offer a free subscription to the most active participant during the Edit-a-Thon. We also received a list from the Hindawi Foundation, which aims to disseminate knowledge, containing over 1300 open-source books. The list was reviewed to ensure that it was not already present on Wikiquote. A list was compiled consisting of over 1000 open-source books from various sources, including the source of the book within the same list, to facilitate participants' easy access to the books in case they wanted to publish quotes. Participants were asked to add at least 5 quotations from each book.
- Team Tasks
During the Edit-a-Thon, the work was divided among team members in shifts, with each member having a daily goal set, ensuring the achievement of the defined objective by the end of the event in an organized manner. The team and participants worked on Wikiquote based on the mentioned list. As for Wikimedia Commons, some team members were assigned the task of attending sessions and taking photos of the sessions in general, including the speakers and presenters. Photos of prominent participating publishing houses in the fair were also taken. Other team members were responsible for adding new items to Wikidata for the exhibition guests participating from various countries around the world, as well as editing the fair article on Wikipedia.
- Communication Plan
The invitation to the event was designed to provide simple details about the event in an intriguing manner that encourages the reader to learn more. The invitation was sent to a group of interested individuals and university students to encourage them to join the event. The event was also announced on social media through multiple posts and the Story feature. The invitation was designed to direct interested individuals to a website that provides detailed explanations about the event, how to participate, and participation requirements. If a person wishes to participate, they are required to fill out a form requesting basic participant information and their preferred mode of participation (in-person or virtual) and suitable timing for participation. Upon registration, an automatic reply is sent to them, providing details about their participation, the list they are expected to work on, and a link to a training video prepared to guide them through the steps of working on Wikiquote (such as creating an account, adding new features including visual editing, adding a new page, adding quotations, and adding references). By the end of each day of the fair, a newsletter was sent to our list of participants and interested individuals, highlighting the work accomplished during the day, the number of contributions published, and the notable quotation of the day. Additionally, they were invited again to join before the end of the event.
The group participated in the festival on the second day of the exhibition by organizing a session titled "The Importance of Arabic Content on the Internet." The session featured Dr. Laila Familiyar, an expert in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, teacher training, and curriculum and linguistic design. The session discussed the importance of having free and reliable information in Arabic in the digital world. It specifically focused on the quality of Arabic digital content in general and the role individuals play in improving this quality. It also addressed the importance of schools in encouraging students to use the Arabic language and improve the quality of digital information.
- Monitoring and Evaluation
We relied on the Programs & Events Dashboard, which provided all the relevant details about the event, including the number of participants, the number of edits, the size of each article, and the number of included images. We also utilized a tracking file to record daily contributions, providing an accurate count of participants, published contributions, and the percentage achieved daily based on the final number.
- Outcomes
During the 7 days of the fair, the team, along with the participants, managed to work on 2000 contributions across Wikimedia projects, divided as follows:
- 1100 new quotations were added to Wikiquote, distributed among 200 new pages.
- 860 images were uploaded to the Wikimedia Commons project.
- 700 new items were added to Wikidata.
- Modifications were made to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair article on Wikipedia, including the addition of the program for the year 2023.
- Learning
After the event concluded, a SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was conducted, which is a strategic planning tool that focuses on four aspects. Several positive points were identified in the analysis, including:
- The successful venture into a new project like Wikiquote as a fruitful step for the group's contributions, allowing them to focus on something new and target a different audience. - The ability to revitalize the Wikiquote project, which had been relatively stagnant without any updates. - Positive engagement with institutions or stakeholders involved in any project, which contributes to the success of the event. - The team's achievement of the set goal of publishing 2000 contributions.
Among the weaknesses that should be taken into consideration for future events are:
- Insufficient space for the team within the exhibition hall. - Weak internet connectivity, which posed a slight obstacle.
Ramadan Edit-a-Thon
editAs part of the Wikimedians of UAE User Grooup's activities for 2023, which aim to enrich Arabic digital content in general and Wikimedia projects specifically, the group organized the Ramadan Edit-a-Thon on April 13, 2022, for the second consecutive year. An editing marathon, also known as an "Edit-a-thon," is an event where Wikimedians gather in one place at a specific time to edit, modify, and improve a particular topic or a specific set of Wikipedia articles. The goal of the Edit-a-Thon was to create a comprehensive digital guide for the month of Ramadan in Arab countries, with the participation of individuals interested in disseminating free information and enriching Arabic content. The Ramadan Edit-a-Thon shed light on the main aspects of well-established traditions during the blessed month of Ramadan in the Arab world by creating and editing comprehensive articles in Arabic or English. There are several articles on Wikipedia with the topic "Ramadan in [Arab country]" that lack basic information about the traditions of that Arab country during the holy month. In addition, pictures related to Ramadan feasts, decorations, and rituals were included.
- Objectives
- Attracting new individuals to introduce them to the group's activities and encouraging them to join the Wikimedia community.
- Building a community of editors and enthusiasts for Wikimedia projects, enhancing their commitment to volunteer work and the dissemination of free knowledge.
- Creating and editing multiple articles in Arabic and English on topics related to the month of Ramadan and enriching digital content on Wikipedia.
- Uploading Ramadan-related images to WikiCommons.
- Methods
A simple website was created for the event, providing a brief about the event, its location, and how to participate. Participants were encouraged to capture photos or videos of Ramadan feasts, popular dishes and drinks, or Ramadan events and share them in a single file. All the photos were then uploaded to WikiCommons project and some were included in Wikipedia articles during the event. Participants also had the option to edit Wikipedia articles related to the established and diverse customs and traditions in Arab countries during the blessed month of Ramadan.
On the same website, participation requirements, registration process, and preparations for the event were specified. An email was sent to registered participants, including a link to a file for sharing photos and a link to a table indicating the list of articles and required information, making it easier for participants to edit the articles. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to watch instructional videos demonstrating how to edit on Wikipedia and how to upload images to WikiCommons.
The Programs & Events Dashboard was utilized, which provided all the details related to the event, including the number of participants, the number of edits, the size of each article, and the number of included images.
- Outcomes
Nine editors participated in the Editathon, working together for two hours and making approximately 130 edits on Wikipedia. This included creating a new article and editing four existing articles. Additionally, 67 images related to Ramadan rituals were uploaded to WikiCommons, with most of them being linked to Wikipedia articles.
- Learnings
After the event, a SWOT analysis was conducted, focusing on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The analysis revealed that the event's timing was not suitable for some participants as it coincided with the last ten days of Ramadan, which are characterized by significant religious rituals. To address this, it is recommended that the next Ramadan Editathon be scheduled during the first two weeks of the month. Additionally, the event's timing after 9 PM proved inconvenient for some participants.
One of the weaknesses identified was the lack of clarity in the registration process on the website. However, the event was effectively promoted through social media platforms, and considerable efforts were made to engage a broad audience interested in participation.
ESE Summer Camp Training Programme
edit- About the Program
The Wikimedians of UAE UG team members were invited to participate in the Al Kuwait Intermediate Girl’s School Summer Camp. The school management was provided with all the necessary information regarding the workshops, including the required equipment and the targeted audience, which comprised students from the third cycle. The summer camp consisted of four workshops focused on Wikipedia, scheduled to be conducted over a two-week duration.
- Organizers
The Wikimedians of UAE UG handled the training and preparation of materials for the students.
- Objectives
establish partnerships with educational institutions and create strategies and collaboration plans with schools in the country. They also conduct training courses for students to develop their skills and contribute to various Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia. Achieving a comprehensive understanding of how to edit on Wikipedia and contribute to increasing volunteers by providing training on the basics of Wikipedia editing at the beginning of each training program. Strengthening students' research skills and information evaluation. Equipping students with practical experiences, starting from the importance of learning basics of research.
- Tools
A research plan was implemented, focusing on providing students with a clear understanding of research, accessing information and assessing information through Wikipedia and google as a research enginge and how to best optimize it for their future studies. First Session: In the first session, we observed that the students were relatively young to undergo a comprehensive introductory session on Wikipedia. Therefore, our team members decided to transform it into an enjoyable and engaging talk. We discussed various aspects of the encyclopedia, and students were encouraged to share their experiences with online research, including how they use Google for their homework. This interactive approach created a positive environment, fostering the students' interest and curiosity.
- Second Session:
The second session saw the expected age group of students, allowing us to conduct the planned introductory session. The students were attentive and actively participated in the workshop. We incorporated several interactive activities to enhance their understanding of Wikipedia and its editing processes. The students responded well to these activities and showed genuine enthusiasm in learning more about Wikipedia.
- Third Session:
During the third session, a different group of students from the third cycle attended, and we once again conducted the introductory session along with the students' activities. The level of engagement and interest displayed by these students was impressive. Some of them even expressed a keen interest in becoming Wikipedia editors, showcasing the positive impact of our efforts.
- Fourth Session:
Regrettably, the fourth session did not take place as planned. Despite our team members arriving at the school on time, we were not informed that none of the students from the third cycle would be attending that day. The school was hosting an honoring ceremony for students, resulting in no staff members being available to guide us. Unfortunately, this unforeseen situation led to the cancellation of the session.
- Outputs
- The workshops were carefully designed to focus on the significance of Wikipedia as a reliable and expansive source of knowledge. The aim was to instill in the young participants a sense of responsibility towards contributing to the global repository of information and fostering a culture of critical thinking and digital literacy.
- Spreading awareness about research and its importance to students and the importance of evaluating the sources used.
- Introduce students to the Wikimedia user group and the group's activities across the country.
- Spreading the concept of knowledge volunteering and its importance to deliver free knowledge to each individual.
- Lessons Learned
The summer camp provided a valuable opportunity for the participating students to enrich their knowledge of research, editing, and accessing information online. The interactive and engaging approach adopted by our team members was well received, as evident from the keen interest displayed by the students. Nevertheless, we strongly believe that the summer camp could have had an even more significant impact on a greater number of pupils if it had been organized more efficiently.
The prepared material was not fully utilized due to having a different audience for each session, resulting in repeating the introductory session while attempting new activities for students every time. This allowed us to gauge their preferences better and tailor the camp to their interests.
Wiki Loves Earth 2023
editThe Wikilovesearth contest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently concluded, reflecting a passionate pursuit of photography capturing the region's natural beauty. The contest encouraged participants to take pictures of natural landscapes and wildlife, fostering a connection with nature and promoting environmental awareness. This report outlines the competition's key highlights, achievements, and results.
The competition commenced on May 1 and lasted until June 15, 2023, allowing participants ample time to explore and photograph the diverse ecosystems in the UAE.
A total of 65 participants entered the competition, of which an impressive 94% (61 participants) were new uploaders who registered after the competition began, which signifies a strong interest in the competition, attracting new contributors to the platform.
The participants collectively submitted 307 photos, providing a rich visual archive of the UAE's natural splendours. Interestingly, four photos, comprising 1% of the total submissions, have been used on Wikimedia platforms.
We announced the top 10 participants on July 10, 2023, and the contest culminated in recognizing four winners. The most titled winner was User Lintophilip, who secured 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th place among them. Lintophilip's photos were generally centred around the fauna of the UAE, revealing a fascinating glimpse into the region's wildlife.
Due to the fewer photos, the organisation team engaged only two jury members. Their expertise and insights were valuable in selecting the winning entries and ensuring a fair and transparent evaluation process.
The Wikilovesearth contest in UAE has been a resounding success, bringing together enthusiasts and newcomers alike to celebrate the natural beauty of the Emirates. With unique subjects ranging from wildlife to protected areas, the competition has unveiled hidden gems and fostered community engagement and environmental consciousness. All participants, winners, and the jury have collectively contributed to a rich visual tapestry, reflecting the diversity and splendour of the UAE's environment. The impact and success of this contest encourage further initiatives to explore, document, and cherish our planet's natural heritage.
Winning Images First Place: A captivating photo of a tree python at the Green Planet in Dubai. Second Place: A mesmerising image of a Wonderful Jellyfish in the Dubai Aquarium. Third Place: A striking photo of a protected area called Jebel Ali - Lehbab road. These images stood out for their unique perspectives, composition, and ability to capture the essence of the subjects.
Emirati Women's Day Edit-a-thon
editGroup's activities for 2023, which aim to enrich Arabic digital content in general and Wikimedia projects specifically, The Group organized an Edit-a-Thon during Emirati Women’s Day for the second year in a row, celebrating the vital role of Emirati women, in addition to enriching Arabic content on Emirati Women.
An editing marathon, also known as an "Edit-a-thon," is an event where Wikimedians gather in one place at a specific time to edit, modify, and improve a particular topic or a specific set of Wikipedia articles.
This time, the Edit-a-Thon took place virtually, in the form of an open-competition in the span of 24 hours; from August 28, 12 AM until August 29, 12 AM.
- Objectives
- Attracting and recruiting new individuals and encouraging them to join the Wikimedia community.
- Building a community of Wikimedia editors and reinforcing their commitment to volunteering and spreading free knowledge.
- Drafting several Emirati-women-related articles in Arabic.
- Methods
A page dedicated to the Edit-a-Thon was created on Wikipedia. It included a brief introduction to our User Group and to the Edit-a-Thon, in general. It also had the conditions of participation, which included filling in a form whose aim was to get a clear demographic of the participants, in addition to the conditions of the articles, the evaluation system, and points calculation.
The page also included the organizing committee and the judging committee, as well as a general clarification of the prizes:
Prizes for the first three winners were distributed as follows:
- First Place: $100
- Second Place: $75
- Third Place: $50
The three winners were selected based on the number of the final collected points, alongside two special nominations:
- A special nomination for “Articles Translated Into EN”: $50
- A special nomination for “Wiki Data Items”: $50
- Outcomes
The Edit-a-Thon had nine participants, who created 93 articles on topics related to Emirati women in the span of 24 hours. Some of the articles were translated into English, and some had Wiki Data items added to them.
The ages of the participants ranged between 17 and 29 from all over the Arab World, all from different educational backgrounds.
- Learnings
Upon the end of the competition, a survey was sent out to the participants, with the aim of hearing their thoughts and opinions on the Edit-a-Thon. Most of the responses were that it was ‘Fairly Good,’ and that the conditions were ‘acceptable.’ However, some were unsatisfied with the time shortage and the belated announcement of the competition, both of which will be taken into consideration in the future.
According to the Edit-a-Thon's registration form, most of the participants knew about the Edit-a-Thon from the Wikipedia announcement on the day of the competition, another thing to be taken into consideration in the future, and to ensure requesting an announcement one week, at least, from any event.
Moreover, the coverage of the event on social media was belated, which did not allow us to reach the largest number of people who may be interested in participating.
AUD training
editThe Wikimedians of UAE User Group organized a training workshop for freshmen at the College of Communication at the American University in Dubai (AUD) as a part of their practical training requirements. Two of the User Group members were responsible for training the students, split into two parts accross different days in a way that gave the students sufficient time to understand editing on Wikipedia and its policies.
The first part of the training was dedicated to introducing the students to the Wikimedians of UAE User Group, and the Group's events and activities, for the purpose of encouraging the students to become a volunteer and participate in the User Group's activities. Then, the User Group took to talking about Wikipedia before engaging in a discussion with the students, which included answering their questions and talking about features of the Perfect Article on Wikipedia.
The second training sessions focused on practical application like creating a Wikimedia account, editing and formatting articles, starting with teaching the students how to make minor edits before creating and publishing a whole article.
Twelve students attended the two sessions. After the end of the training, they were assigned by a supervising professor to work on six articles - one article for each pair of students - before they were asisgned to create articles about touristic and historical places in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the students were taken on field trips for each of the places where they were able to take photos and add them to their articles.
WikiForHumanRights UAE
editThe Wikimedians of UAE User Group organized a training workshop on editing on Wikipedia in both, English and Arabic, followed by an hour-long edit-a-thon at the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Sharjah. It was in collaboration with the WikiForHumanRights campaign, which is a campaign that aims to make information about the rights of humans in a healthy environment.
In 2023, the campaign focused on the way loval environments are affected by climate issues, including the Triple Planetary Crisis, identified by the United Nations, which is represented by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Prior to the event, the User Group contacted the organizers of the WikiForHumanRights campaign who provided us with additional information about the campaign and the slogans of the campaign. Additionally, the User Group contacted professors at the University of Sharjah, who assisted us in organizing the event, from providing a proper venue and the necessary logistics to issuing invitations to the students, all of which contributed to the success of the event.
- Event Highlights
Fifteen, undergraduate and graduate, students attended the event. The first part of the event was dedicated to introducing the Wikimedians of UAE User Group and all its events and activities. Then, the User Group moved on to talking about Wikipedia and the general editorial rules and policies, before teaching the students how to create a Wikipedia account. After that, the trainers demonstrated live examples of "perfect" Wikipedia articles, in English and Arabic, before dedicating one hour for the actual edit-a-thon.
- Methodology
The User Group created a database of topics related to the environment, including natural reserves, environmental scientists, and more. The database had around 50 items, some of which needed new articles - whether in English or in Arabic - some of which needed to be translated into Arabic, and some of which required editing to align with the "perfect" Wikipedia article standards. Participants were given one week to complete their work before getting awarded with participation certificates from the User Group and the WikiForHumanRights campaign.
- Lessons Learned
One of the lessons that the User Group learned from this event was that perhaps one session is not enough for brand new Wikimedia users. Therefore, it is crucial that in the future we give them more time to train and dedicate a separate day for the actual edit-a-thon. This would enable them to maximize the benefits and knowledge of editing on Wikipedia. On the other hand, the User Group split the students during the edit-a-thon into groups the tasks split between them, which proved to be a great a day and led to the overall success of the event.
SLOY
editThe Wikimedians of UAE User Group participated in the series of career development workshops as part of the School Librarian of The Year (SLOY) event hosted by the Emirates Literature Foundation, the User Group's official sponsor. The event aligns with the User Group's mission and vision in promoting information accessibility and community outreach. More than just attending the workshops, the User Group hosted a workshop titled "Collaborate, Educate, Validate: Your Guide to RWiC and #1Lib1Ref."
- Objectives
Reach out to librarians, teachers, and anyone who is interested in publishing information and making it accessible. Introduce the audience to one of the oldest platforms dedicated to sharing credible free knowledge; Wikipedia. Tackle two of the most important projects: Reading Wikipedia in The Classroom (RWiC) and #1Lib1Ref, both of which directly concern librarians and teachers in schools. Build a network of volunteer in the United Arab Emirates within educational institutions, including teachers, librarians, and students.
- Event Description
The School Librarian of The Year (SLOY) Award is dedicated to nominating the best librarian as a way to give their role the appreciation it needs.
The award was founded in 2016 in partnership with the Executive Council of Dubai, as a way to celebrate the crucial role that libarians fill in private and public schools. The winners receieve valuable awards in recognition of the efforts they put into reinforce reading and building a generation of readers.
The Education department at the Emirates Literature Foundation is responsible for organizing and hosting the competition. The competition is done annually. A whole day is dedicated to career development workshops for librarians and teachers. The Wikimedians of UAE User Group saw the importance of doing a workshop during the event as a way to communicate with librarians and teachers and incorporating into the world of free knowledge on Wikipedia.
- Event Highlights
The session was presented by two team members. The first part of the session was dedicated to talking about 'Reading Wikipedia in The Classroom' (RWiC), and the various ways that the program aim to develop the digital literacy skills of students and teachers, and how educators can use it as an educational tool. The speakers also talked about the effects of the program, and as an example, they used seven of the countries that applied it. They also explained how teachers could participate and how they could become certified by Wikimedia Foundation. Additionally, the speakers talked about the various aspects of the program.
The second part of the session was dedicated to the #1Lib1Ref campaign, which ims to reinforce credibility on Wikipedia. They also talked about how the campaign presents an opportunity for career development for librarians, in addition to pointing out the pivotal role that libariries and librarians play in the accuracy of information on the internet. They also explained how they could become a part of the campaign by adding missing refeerences to information on Wikipedia.
They concluded the session by referring to Wiki Library, considering it is a platform where active Wikipedia editors could access important and credible resources.
- Data Analysis
Considering that librarians were the target audience of the event, the majority of the attendees were school librarians and teachers who are passionate about their careers and the future of information.
The number of attendees was around eighty people from different nationalities. A QR code was presented at the end of the session, enabling those who were interested to register in the Wikimedians of UAE User Group. Twenty showed great interest in the topics of the session and went on to register. Their age group ranges between 30 and 50, from several different nationalities. Some were interested in 'Reading Wikipedia in The Classroom' (RWiC), some were interested in the #1Lib1Ref campaign, whilst some were interested in both.
However, they all had one thing in common, and it is knowing how they could use Wikipedia to benefit students and pread knowledge. Thus, the User Group will put a communication plan to reach out to them and a future strategy to ensure their participation in these and other similar campaigns, in addition to ensuring they have a clear understanidng of Wikipedia and how to utilize it, either as a source of informationa or as an educational tool.
- Challenges Faced
The User Group faced a difficulty in trying to communicate with the audience after the end of the session, and that was due to the fact that the session took place at the end of the day, which everyone was ready to leave after.
- Lessons Learned
One of the main lessons that the User Group learned was the importance of communicating with the organizers of campaigns and projects; contacting one of the organizors of the #1Lib1Ref campaign proved to be really useful, which had a positive impact on the presentation and the overall session. Moreover, the User Group contacted multiple educators and schools to discuss the most relevant ideas to them, to which they had positive feedbacks and reactions.
She Said Campaign X SIBF
editThe UG participated in SIBF 2023 to actively engage in and enhance the #SheSaid Campaign within Wikimedia. This initiative, spearheaded by Wiki in Africa as part of the Wiki Loves Women endeavor, aims to amplify women's voices and contributions within Wikimedia projects. The campaign focuses on bridging the gender gap by encouraging women's participation in editing, content creation, and awareness activities. Building on its success, the #SheSaid drive is scheduled to run again in 2023, spanning from October 1st to December 31st. This extended duration reflects the ongoing commitment to further enhance the representation of women and their contributions within the Wikimedia platform. Aligned with the Wikimedians of UAE user group's objectives of promoting inclusivity and diversity within the Wikimedia community, supporting the #SheSaid Campaign contributes to creating a more diverse and representative Wikimedia ecosystem. This collaboration fosters gender equity in content creation and knowledge sharing specifically within the UAE. The #SheSaid Campaign aims to celebrate and uplift women by improving their representation and visibility on Wikiquote. Its impact is evident, with over 7,721 new articles created or edited across 11 different languages during the last three editions since its inception in 2020.
- Objectives
Objectives This campaign empowers us to spotlight women in the MENA region, especially Emirati women, aligning with our goal to showcase their achievements. It facilitates the creation of Wikipedia articles highlighting women and their quotes, connecting them to Wikiquotes. Our UAE objective includes developing pages dedicated to Emirati women, and this campaign supports our aim by enhancing their visibility on Wikimedia platforms.
- Event Description
The 42nd edition of SIBF showcased numerous Arab women with remarkable achievements and artists. The program spanned 12 days, featuring engaging panel discussions, talks, and captivating performances.
- Methodology
Shahd made sure women who were featured on the fair were notable for Wikiquote and Wikipedia entries. However, there waws no clear plan for networking and a running order for the day, including this prior to our events may bring benefits to the group and reaching their goal to each event.
- Stats
3.It is worth noting the difference in activity in the en and ar project:
- Arabic Wikiquote: [Nov. 9, 2023 - Nov. 18, 2023] 21 revisions, 21 pages, 7 users, 1 project.
- English Wikiuqote: [Nov. 9, 2023 - Nov. 20, 2023] 580 revisions, 348 pages, 30 users, 1 project.
- Achievements and Outcomes
In total Shahd and Duaa published 24 articles and 63 quotes. networking was fruitfull for our Wiki Collections project.
- Challenges Faced
There were no previous groups that created a dashboard to monitor the success of the campaign and development, maybe the UG can create that dashboard to maintain a clear monitoring process.
- Recommendations
Publishing more pages and editing throughout our events (i.e., NLA – COP28 – First Chapter – Connecting Minds - EAFoL) We already added the campaign to our Harir competition. Could we explore the possibility of making the campaign an all year round activity that ca incorporated into our events.
- Conclusion
In summary, SIBF 2023 presented a valuable opportunity for the UG to actively engage in the #SheSaid Campaign, advocating for gender equity in content creation and bolstering the presence of Arab women within Wikimedia. While attending the event might not have yielded immediate benefits, it contributed significantly to our networking efforts and initiating relationships with pertinent entities in the region. Therefore, such events continue to hold great significance for the user group.
Jeddah University Training - Fall 23
editA collaborative training program was conducted between the Wikimedians of UAE User Group, Jeddah University in Saudi Arabia, and Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation - a foundation that specializes in translation and content writing. The 14-weeks long program was from September 4, 2023 until December 11, 2023, and it had forty-five students from the College of Languages and Translation at Jeddah University as part of their graduation requirments.
- Organizers
The Wikimedians of UAE User Group took on the responsibility of training the students on editing and creating Wikipedia articles. The User Group assigned the students tasks for the duration of the training program. The first week of the program consisted of two online training workshops which included general explanations of Wikipedia and its editorial policies, in addition to live examples to help ensure and enhance their understanding. Then, the User Group sent videos to the students, and they were tutorial videos explaining how to edit on Wikipedia, before a file was shared that had the assigned tasks for the students. Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation took on the responsibility of reviewing the quality of the students' translations before forwarding the aticle to their Wikipedia dropbox. The User Group was responsible for the final review of the Wikipedia article and its publication.
- Objectives
- Achieving one of the group's goals, which is to create partnerships with educational institutions, develop strategies, and collaborate with several universities in the UAE and beyond. This includes conducting courses at universities to train students and develop their skills to contribute to various Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia.
- Achieving a comprehensive understanding of editing on Wikipedia and increasing the number of contributors by providing training on the basics of Wikipedia editing at the beginning of each training program.
- Building partnerships with reliable data sources in the UAE and the Arab region, including collaboration with Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation.
- Strengthening translation skills for the students and providing them with an opportunity to learn new terminology through the diversity of articles provided during the training.
- Equipping them for the job market by setting specific deadlines for task submissions, enabling them to develop the skill of working quickly.
- Tools
The User Group sent out a survey to the Ratal Al Kalimat Foundation prior to starting the training, and this survey allowed the User Group to gather the information necessary for identifying the training program's needs and its objectives. The survey aimed to gather informaton about the students' theoritical knowledge and education, as well as information about the desired outcome of the training, which included mastering translation, writing, adminstrative, and team work skills. Based on the data provided by the survey, a research plan was implemented, focusing on providing students with articles in both English and Arabic and translating them. The research plan included various topics such as history, medicine, business, media, literature, science, art, and music. The work distribution mechanism focused on providing them with 5 intensive articles to work on. To ensure the success of the program, students were required to submit their translation file for review by the translation team (Ratal Al Kalimat). After approval and incorporating any necessary changes, the student would publish the article on the sandbox. Then our team would review the editorial aspects of Wikipedia and ensure that it is a well-rounded article with essential elements such as infoboxes, hyperlinks, references, categories and more. When the students published their articles on their sandboxes, the training team reviewed them and provided comprehensive feedback through written comments or recorded videos, demonstrating how to edit what needed to be edited if the articles were incomplete or required modifications.
- Outputs
200 articles were published on Wikipedia in various fields The diversity of article topics contributed to the linguistic progress of the students as they learned new terminology in various fields and polished their translation skills while gaining diverse experiences.
- Lessons Learned
After the training period, a questionnaire was shared with the students to gather feedback on their experience and identify areas for improvement in future iterations. According to the questionnaire 80% of the students considered the training program to be Excellent, whilst the other 20% ranged between Good and Acceptable. The training program enabled the students to acquire skills related to efficiency, dealing with new topics, developing translation skills, and improving their writing style. According to the questionnaire, the difficulties encountered by the students during the training period included time constraint, lack of information about the entirety of Wikipedia's policies, both of which are things for the User Group to consider in future training programs. The Programs & Events Dashboard provided all the details related to the program, including the number of participants, tasks assigned to each of them, and automatic statistics showing the number of published articles, edits, and the size of each article.
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