IEP/Online Ambassadors

Wikipedia Online Ambassador (OA) role is a volunteer position. Wikipedia OA serve as virtual mentors, advisers, and helpers to the professors and students who are using Wikipedia in the classroom. Their role is to provide positive online help for students and professors on how to edit Wikipedia and participate in the editing community.

On a very broad level,OAs:

1. Help students get started on editing Wikipedia and watch out that their first efforts are sympathetically reviewed, so that the students have a positive experience on Wikipedia.
2. Answer students' questions about how to edit Wikipedia (basic skills);
3. Explain the basics of how Wikipedia works to students;
4. Monitor students' work on Wikipedia and provide feedback on student articles, to make sure that students' writing aligns with Wikipedia's core guidelines and policies;
5. Identify opportunities for Did You Know nominations and help students with the nomination process;
6. Welcome students to the Wikipedia editing community; to the extent possible, make sure students' experience on Wikipedia is positive.
7. Be available on IRC during office hours at a specified time every week
   

Click here for a more detailed role of Online Ambassadors.

Here is the OA Application form.

There will be certain prerequisites to apply for OA

• The applicant should have a wiki username
• The applicant should be an active wikipedian
• The applicant should be able log into IRC during office hours
• The applicant should be able to devote xx hours in a week

We'll use multiple channels to invite OA applications:

1. Mailing on India mailing list
2. Mailing on individual language mailing list

1. The recruitment process will be based on application shortlists and past Wikipedia experience.
2. Some of the criteria that will be kept in mind during the selection process are:
   1. The applicant should have advanced understanding about Wikipedia
   2. The applicant should be an existing Wikipedian
   3. The applicant should be patient to teach Wikipedia editing and policies to newbies
   4. The applicant should be able to break down complex material into easily understandable content
   5. The applicant should be an effective teacher
   6. The applicant should be able to devote 3-5 hrs per week on IRC.

Since OAs can be physically located anywhere in the world, the OA orientation will take place over Skype, Google+ Hangout, or an equivalent web-conferencing channel, and will last a few hours. Major topics covered will include: overview of the India Education Program, expectations and responsibilities of OAs, how to effectively mentor newbies online on Wikipedia-editing, and tips on working with professors and students. The orientation will be interactive and hands-on to the extent possible.