Klexikon

Klexikon is a German online encyclopedia for children aged six to twelve years. It was launched in December 2014. The name Klexikon is a portmanteau combining the two German words Kinder [children] and Lexikon [encyclopedia]. Like its role model Wikipedia, the site was created as a wiki using the MediaWiki software. The text content is available under a Creative Commons By Attribution Share-alike version 3.0 licence while free media is taken from Wikimedia Commons.[1][2] Special rules were implemented to ensure that all content is suitable for children.[3] Moreover, all editors are required to register with an email address.[4]

Klexikon
The Klexikon logo displays an owl as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge
Type of site
Encyclopedia
Available inGerman
OwnerZentrale für Unterrichtsmedien im Internet
URLklexikon.zum.de
CommercialNo
RegistrationMandatory
LaunchedDecember 2014 (2014-12)
Content license
Creative Commons By Attribution Share-alike v. 3.0
Written inMediaWiki

History

The Klexikon encyclopedia was founded by journalist Michael Schulte and historian Ziko van Dijk, who was the chairman of Wikimedia Netherlands from 2011 to 2014.[5] The website is owned by non-profit association Zentrale für Unterrichtsmedien im Internet [online educational media centre] which also hosts other types of Wikis.

One year after its launch, Klexikon consisted of 1,000 articles and 1,500 articles had been created after two years.[6][7] The Klexikon community of editors decides per consensus which articles should be created next so as to assure that the most important topics, school subjects and areas of interest of children are covered.[8]

Klexikon was supported by Wikimedia Germany in creating the concept of an online encyclopedia for children.[9] The concept was then refined by cooperating with Technical University of Dortmund and Technical University of Cologne.[10][11]

Reception

The German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth considers the site a "useful" children's encyclopedia.[12] According to the voluntary self control association of German television, Klexikon's advantage is that unlike Wikipedia it is specifically written for children.[13] The Austrian School Portal wrote that Klexikon was a "great work of reference" which provided content that was specifically balanced for children.[14] The Merz magazine noted that Klexikon was an online source of information with relatively reliable content, but criticised that articles did not provide any sources. This was contrary to the need of sensitising school children for marking secondary information as such.[15]

Awards and nominations
  • 2015: Pädi – der pädagogische Interaktiv-Preis [The Pedagogical Interactive Prize][16]
  • 2016: Nominated for the 2016 Open educational resources award in the category "educational fusion"[17]

References
  1. "In English". Klexikon. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  2. "Freies Wissen". Klexikon (in German). 1 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. "Grundregeln". Klexikon (in German). 22 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  4. "Grundregeln". Klexikon (in German). 22 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. "Klexikon.de - Wikipedia für Kinder". GEOlino (in German). Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. Schoener, Johanna (14 December 2015). "Wikipedia für Kinder: Wo bleibt der Pups?". Die Zeit (in German).
  7. "Daten zum Klexikon". Klexikon (in German). 19 August 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  8. "Artikelwünsche". Klexikon (in German). 12 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  9. Erhart, Ed (15 July 2015). "The Klexikon: a new wiki encyclopedia for children". Wikimedia BLog. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  10. "klexikon.de: Auf dem Weg zu einer Wikipedia für Kinder – Möglichkeiten für den Deutschunterricht" (PDF) (in German). Technical University of Dortmund. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. Dickmann, Mirka. Schilly, Ute Barbara (ed.). "Projekt 'Klexikon'" (in German). Technical University of Cologne. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  12. "Gutes Aufwachen mit Medien. Ein Netz für Kinder" (PDF) (in German). Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. p. 9.
  13. "Klexikon.de: Wenn Wissen mitmachen lässt" (in German). Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen. Archived from the original on 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  14. Mayrhofer, Sabrina (15 June 2016). "Wikipedia für Kinder" (in German). Österreichisches Schulportal. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  15. Fleischmann, Katrin (2015). "Klexikon: Eine Wikipedia für Kinder". Merz – Medien + Erziehung (in German). No. 4.
  16. "PÄDI – der Pädagogische Interaktiv-Preis 2015" (PDF) (in German). SIN - Studio im Netz e.V. p. 2.
  17. "OER-Award 2016 – Wettbewerb und oer.academy". OERinfo – open-educational-resources.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
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