Boring

Thanks Pi zero, to a degree you are right with regards to visible learning outcomes for students - SOME students. But you would agree that different people have different thresholds and teachable moments, and your design requires a very high threshold level for the numerous stresses engaging Wikinews, added to the various dynamics of being asked to do it as an assignment for credit in formal studies. The assignment in formal studies need not be your concern, other than it being a potential driver of Wikinews growth, but not before the review process can accommodate the diverse skill levels, expectations and intentions that new comers bring. How easily this forum went very badly is evidence of both technical and cultural inclination. The graphic presentation of the reviews, with their red crosses and blunt language, and the tendency of reviewers not to get involved in stories that have obvious new-worthiness and importance to the Wikinews profile of coverage is also perplexing. Leading by example, helping a new comer over the line and generating that high sense of accomplishment may be a crucial ingredient to developing and sustaining contributor growth. Apologies if you've already considered these points and arrive at your position non-the-less.

It is also interesting to note that the level of dissatisfaction with UoW 2013 students is significantly higher than it was in 2011. This is what lead to my attempts to intervene and try and preserve the project through the semester. It looks as though it may fail, and the project will be halted.

I hope this experience has been a learning experience for you and Laura also. Rest assured we all appreciate the voluntary work you are doing, and the passion you give to the project. It remains a question for me, as to whether bringing formal education to interface with Wikimedia projects is a viable proposition, given the complex dynamics on either side.

Leigh, you sound like an anti-Wikinews extremist. Perhaps you have allowed yourself to be indoctrinated by some of that crowd over at Wikiversity. The sort of person I'm talking about speaks with authority about what's wrong with how Wikinews operates without thinking it appropriate to first learn how it does operate, takes as an axiom that Wikinewsies must be too clueless to have thought about how the project works rather than reckoning people who have devoted thousands of hours to the project have probably thought about all aspects of its operations, and choose their words to sow as much dissent on Wikinews as possible.

Please note that this is not, and never was, an appropriate venue for a discussion of Wikinews operations. This is the comments page of an article; it exists for readers to discuss the topic raised by the article, and this entire thread, from its start, does not belong here. Are you aware that you are the problem here? The student who started this thread is not longer a problem, but you are making yourself one.