My Outreachy Internship: Gamifying Knowledge With Wikimedia Future Audience Team.

In this blog I’ll be giving you a tour of exactly what I am working on at Wikimedia with my Future Audience team. If you are an Outreachy applicant and you’ve been curious about contributing to Wikimedia and where to start. I think this blog would shed some light and give you an overall Idea of what we are doing and I also hope it would make you join the community as a contributor and even as a intern.

Who Are We Trying to Reach?

As Future Audiences, we're focusing on trying to reach people who might not typically into Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects. This includes younger generations, people in emerging markets, and anyone who prefers more interactive ways to learn. These might be students, casual learners, curious minds, and even those who might find traditional encyclopedic content a bit daunting. Our goal is to make knowledge accessible and fun for literally everyone, everywhere.

The Problem We're trying to Solve

If we are being honest, the world today has really evolved and one way which has evolved with it is how people consume knowledge. Sometimes reading a long article, no matter how informative, can feel a bit like homework. The problem we're trying to solve is the gap between vast amounts of free knowledge and having engaging ways to consume it. How do we get people excited about learning new things on Wikimedia platforms when there are so many other distractions? As I’ve said before we are trying to make learning ‘fun’ and exciting, this would solve issues like:

• Making complex topics easier to understand

• Reaching newer audience who might not be a traditional reader of encyclopedic content.

What am working on!

I am working on developing gamified experiences that can eventually be integrated into existing Wikimedia platform and inspire new ones. I am essentially creating new "front doors" to the vast library of Wikimedia content, making it more appealing to a broader audience. Imagine a future where you learn about new by playing an interactive quiz, or discover scientific concepts through a collaborative game. My game Wikibridge, aims to do just that.

Wikibridge is a quiz-based game that leverages content directly from Wikipedia and Wikidata. Players are presented with articles on diverse topics, and they have to find how which article connect/link. The game mechanic includes a unique path-building feature where players start at one Wikipedia article and must drag and drop related articles from a pool to form a logical bridge that leads to a specified end article. Each connection highlights the relationships between concepts, challenging players to think critically about how knowledge is structured. Its importance lies in its ability to transform passive reading into active learning and exploration. By gamifying the discovery of knowledge, Wikibridge doesn't just test what you know it encourages you to engage with information, uncover new articles, and grasp the interconnectedness of topics. It's a fun, low-stakes way for users, especially newcomers to Wikimedia, to bridge the gap between casual interest and deep exploration into the world of free knowledge, making learning enjoyable and memorable.

What makes me excited about this project

What truly excites me about this project is the potential for impact. Imagine millions of people, especially young people, around the world engaging with Wikimedia content in a way that feels less like studying and more like playing. The idea of making learning genuinely enjoyable and helping people discover new passions through gamified experiences is incredibly motivating. I'm also thrilled to be at the forefront of innovation within Wikimedia, exploring new paradigms for spreading knowledge. It's not just about building a feature; it's about shaping the future of online learning.

New Concepts I’ve learnt so far

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My Outreachy Internship: Gamifying Knowledge With Wikimedia's Future Audiences Team

Hey there! As an Outreachy intern with Wikimedia's Future Audiences team, I'm thrilled to share a glimpse into my journey of gamifying knowledge and making learning more engaging for everyone. It's been an incredible experience, and I'm excited to tell you all about it.

Who Are We Trying to Reach?

The Wikimedia community is vast and diverse, but when we talk about Future Audiences, we're focusing on a few key groups. Think of us as trying to reach people who might not typically dive deep into Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects. This includes younger generations, people in emerging markets, and anyone who prefers more interactive and bite-sized ways to learn. We're talking about students, casual learners, curious minds, and even those who might find traditional encyclopedic content a bit daunting. Our goal is to make knowledge accessible and fun for literally everyone, everywhere.

The Problem We're Solving

At its core, Wikimedia is about sharing free knowledge. But let's be honest, sometimes reading a long article, no matter how informative, can feel a bit like homework. The problem we're trying to solve is the gap between vast amounts of free knowledge and engaging ways to consume it. How do we get people excited about learning new things on Wikimedia platforms when there are so many other distractions? We're addressing issues like:

• Information overload: Making complex topics digestible.

• Engagement: Turning passive consumption into active participation.

• Accessibility: Reaching audiences who might not be traditional "readers" of encyclopedic content.

• Retention: Helping people remember what they learn.

This is where gamification comes in!

My Project's Place in the Wikimedia Universe

My project fits directly into the larger Wikimedia mission of "free knowledge for all" by exploring innovative ways to deliver that knowledge. We're not replacing the core articles; instead, we're building bridges to them. I am working on developing gamified experiences that can eventually be integrated into existing Wikimedia platforms and inspire new ones. I am essentially creating new "front doors" to the vast library of Wikimedia content, making it more appealing to a broader audience. Imagine a future where you learn about new cultures or historical events by playing an interactive quiz, or discover scientific concepts through a collaborative game. My game, Wikibridge, aims to do just that.

Wikibridge is designed as a quiz-based game that leverages content directly from Wikipedia and Wikidata. Players are presented with questions on diverse topics, and the answers are drawn from Wikimedia's vast knowledge base. The game mechanics might include multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or even short challenges that encourage players to navigate and quickly find information within a simulated Wikipedia interface. Its importance lies in its ability to transform passive reading into active learning and exploration. By gamifying the discovery of knowledge, Wikibridge doesn't just test what you know; it encourages you to engage with the information, discover new articles, and understand the interconnectedness of various topics. It's a fun, low-stakes way for users, particularly those new to Wikimedia, to bridge the gap between casual interest and deep dives into the world of free knowledge, making learning enjoyable and memorable.

Why You'd Want to Use My Project (or ones like it!)

Why would you want to engage with a gamified Wikimedia experience? Simple:

• It's fun! Learning doesn't have to be a chore. Games make it enjoyable and addictive.

• It's effective. Gamification taps into our natural curiosity and competitive spirit, helping us retain information better.

• It's interactive. Instead of just reading, you're actively participating, making decisions, and getting immediate feedback.

• It's accessible. We're aiming to create experiences that are easy to pick up, even for those new to a topic.

• It makes knowledge sticky. When you have a positive, engaging experience with learning, you're more likely to come back for more.

Imagine testing your knowledge of world geography in a fun quiz, or learning about a historical figure by virtually stepping into their shoes. That's the kind of experience we're aiming for.

What Makes Me Most Excited

What truly excites me about this project is the potential for impact. Imagine millions of people, especially young people, around the world engaging with Wikimedia content in a way that feels less like studying and more like playing. The idea of making learning genuinely enjoyable and helping people discover new passions through gamified experiences is incredibly motivating. I'm also thrilled to be at the forefront of innovation within Wikimedia, exploring new paradigms for knowledge dissemination. It's not just about building a feature; it's about shaping the future of online learning.

New Concepts and Terms

This past month has been a whirlwind of learning! I've delved deep into gamification principles, understanding concepts like:

• Game mechanics: What makes a game work?

• Player psychology: How do different players respond to different game elements?

• Narrative design: How can we weave compelling stories into educational games?

• User experience (UX) for games: Designing interfaces that are intuitive and engaging for game players.

I'm truly passionate about bringing the power of play to the world of knowledge. This Outreachy internship has been an incredible journey of discovery, and I can't wait to see how these ideas evolve and impact learners worldwide!