Since it was first cited by a student in an academic paper controversy over the accuracy, validity, truth or shall we say ‘correctness’ of Wikipedia has been debated. Before the widespread availability of information on the Internet we were relegated to what was available to us through schools, the library and media such as television and radio. Each of these institutions had its gatekeepers. Curriculum, particularly at the elementary and high school levels, was tightly controlled, libraries could chose which books they would shelve and sell. Radio, television and film were also tightly regulated both by the owners of these media outlets and government regulatory bodies. Of course we could purchase books and magazines at our local bookstores. But even this was regulated by “buyers”, who were responsible for ordering content that would sell. After all bookstores are there to make money.
It seems as though every source had an agenda. Was it ever really about providing information? Openly? One thing we know now. The free flowing information available at Wikipedia has a lot of people “concerned”. The potential for an opportunity lost is of concern. Can everyone see the incredible value this kind of basic information could have on education? Most elementary, high school and even undergraduate curriculum are focused on students forming a foundation of knowledge. They must learn to read, write, add, subtract, multiply and divide. What if they showed up on the first day of school with those skills intact? What an incredible gift sites such as Wikipedia have given us. What incredible foresight to provide basic information on almost every subject imaginable.
During my education, in particular the high school and undergraduate years, the body of truth, that which was required to demonstrate understanding in order to pass examinations was mainly contained within books and lectures. Both regulated. We could not gain access to textbooks; they were produced by special academic publishing houses and they were not available at our local bookstore. No doubt due to their lack of “bestseller” appeal.
Back then if, after a particular inspiring class in grade 10 biology, one had to wait until the subsequent semester or year to take grade 11 biology, in order to gain access to more information. Now it is a different game. I think we should encourage and embrace this. What teacher wouldn’t want a student who has already familiarized themselves with the core fundamentals and is eager to move on to a more challenging curriculum? Think of how much further advanced we could be in our understanding of the world. We might be able to focus more on the co-creation of new knowledge, not the imparting of basic concepts, which are now freely available to anyone with Internet access. What is it that people are so afraid of? Oh ya, knowledge is power.
