Wikipedia has become a very common and frequently used tool and information source for students when they are asked for any academic assignment. Aware of this circumstance and also of the limitations and the quality of existing articles in relation to manufacturing processes, technologies and systems, a project was initiated aimed at enhancing and organising learning activities around the creation and improvement of these contents in Wikipedia. The present work will describe the particular experience in two optional subjects: "Design for Manufacture and Assembly" and " Plastics Technology". Main objectives of this activity were: to encourage understanding, knowledge, skills and values closely bound to the active use of open and free information systems; to promote autonomous learning; to study in depth subject contents with a more active attitude; to give the possibility that work and knowledge generated by students remain on-line and accessible to other people and not just for the lecturer; to raise the ability for being critical and for evaluating different information sources; and to learn how to work in cooperative and collaborative contexts. In addition, manufacturing engineering contents in Wikipedia were significantly improved, with several remarkable created or improved articles in the manufacturing domain. Based on the results of the project, objectives have been fulfilled and outcomes have been very positive. Lecturers are satisfied in terms of both the quantity and quality of the contributions, whose time devoted by students has fit adequately to what was planned and intended skills have been exercised. Furthermore, some of the works have even been awarded a Manufacturing Engineering Society prize. Regarding students, most of them have agreed that the activity was very interesting, would recommend it in the future and even think they will make more contributions in the Wikipedia.