Don't waste student work: Using classroom assignments to contribute to online resources

Abstract

Millions of hours are spent on assignments in university education every year. This exploratory paper describes ways in which instructors can create assignments that not only educate students, but also create lasting online contributions for use by scholars and future students. I describe case studies of assignment types I have used effectively: Paper Summaries, Contributions to Wikibooks, Creation of Mnemonics for a Wiki, Online Flash Cards, and Actual Research. Although formal study has yet to be conducted on these methods, in addition to making external contributions these assignments appear to have the benefits of higher motivation and greater exposure to scholarly research.