Page values for "Submissions:2021/Wikipedia, The Future of Inclusivity in Education"

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every pillar of society. Our daily operations have been transformed to create what we now know as our “new normal”. Globally, schools have been closed to allow for social distancing as a protective measure. Education has therefore made a transition from face-to-face teaching to online lectures. Although this adaptation has benefitted millions of students, the prerequisite of internet access for continued education has created a new subgroup of students that are vulnerable to loss of learning opportunities. If we are to globalize information through the creation of a new education system, it is important to establish measures that are equally beneficial to students from different backgrounds. Lack of internet access has been identified as a major barrier to remote learning and students in developing regions have been disproportionately affected due to higher rates of poverty. Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia featuring widely accessible, free information for all. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, two small scale pilot projects ‘Wikipedia en Fresno’ and’ Wikipedia Internet-in-a-Box’ were launched to provide Wikipedia articles via an offline database in rural communities. A combination of these approaches, tailored to the current social climate will ensure that no student is left behind. This will bridge the gap between vulnerable students that lack internet access and the resources they need to complete homework and research assignments. Promoting Wikipedia as a tool for education will reduce learning losses, thus minimizing school dropouts, child labor and early pregnancy. This presentation will therefore outline Wikipedia’s role in providing learning opportunities to students with no access to the internet, thus boosting inclusivity and contributing positively to the upcoming generations of world leaders.

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