Piotr Konieczny (Piotrus)
Piotr Konieczny is an Associate Professor at the Department of Media & Social informatics, Hanyang University. He has received his PhD degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He is interested in the sociology of the Internet and social movements, in particular in topics such as wikis – their impact on individuals and organizations; decision making processes and organizational structure of Wikipedia; patterns of behavior among Wikipedia contributors; relation between wikis and social movements; free culture movement; and teaching with new media.
Sessions
This study investigates the extent of Americanization in different geographical regions by analyzing Wikidata items and Wikipedia articles across various languages. It reveals differences in the interest in American topics, depending on the development of countries. This research offers the first global, quantitative evidence of Americanization, challenging previous assumptions. Additionally, it highlights Wikipedia's potential in quantifying social science concepts traditionally deemed unmeasurable and contributes to discussions on the platform's biases. Moreover, as an important part of the research, American sources of information in Wikipedia articles were identified and analyzed.
We examine teachers' experiences using Wikipedia as a teaching tool in higher education worldwide. While no gender or age bias was found, there's evidence of a global digital divide, with English-speaking regions more active. Most instructors integrate Wikipedia into assignments, using tools and materials developed by the Wikimedia Community, reporting positive teaching experiences but noting time-consuming nature of this activity. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a seamless transition to distance learning using digital assignments.