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EWTE: Difference between revisions
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This page describes the outcomes and objectives of a short project funded by the Wikimedia Foundation UK (during the second half of 2014), see https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Wiki-based_teacher_education_and_resource_development. | This page describes the outcomes and objectives of a short project funded by the Wikimedia Foundation UK (during the second half of 2014), see https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Wiki-based_teacher_education_and_resource_development. | ||
= Objective = | |||
Mediawiki is already used to host Open Educational Resources (OER), such as Wikipedia (which is possibly the most widely used OER overall). However, the use of mediawiki to develop and host more complex resources, particularly for structured resources (such as textbooks) is still limited. Mediawiki could be a suitable platform for collaboratively producing and hosting teacher education resources, including a potential platform for open textbooks (whether these are teacher education resources or otherwise). However, our previous research around the [[ORBIT]] project has highlighted some of the obstacles to this. Through work undertaken as part of the [[EWTE]] project, aimed to further develop our mediawiki practices to make it a more suitable platform for hosting ''structured'' open educational content. There could bring potentially very significant gains to the OER community, and possibly leads to a far greater adoption of mediawiki in that area. | Mediawiki is already used to host Open Educational Resources (OER), such as Wikipedia (which is possibly the most widely used OER overall). However, the use of mediawiki to develop and host more complex resources, particularly for structured resources (such as textbooks) is still limited. Mediawiki could be a suitable platform for collaboratively producing and hosting teacher education resources, including a potential platform for open textbooks (whether these are teacher education resources or otherwise). However, our previous research around the [[ORBIT]] project has highlighted some of the obstacles to this. Through work undertaken as part of the [[EWTE]] project, aimed to further develop our mediawiki practices to make it a more suitable platform for hosting ''structured'' open educational content. There could bring potentially very significant gains to the OER community, and possibly leads to a far greater adoption of mediawiki in that area. | ||
= Mediawiki and Open Educational Resources = | |||
Three freedoms. | Three freedoms. | ||
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During the ORBIT project, we developed a number of features for our mediawiki on an experimental basis, which as part of [[EWTE]], we developed into proper extensions, with documentation. These include: | During the ORBIT project, we developed a number of features for our mediawiki on an experimental basis, which as part of [[EWTE]], we developed into proper extensions, with documentation. These include: | ||
=== General usability | === Section numbers. === | ||
When creating longer documents, it is important that each section has a unique number. In educational materials, sections usually have a number, that uniquely identifies it. In mediawiki, section numbers within pages are just numbered incrementally (1, 2, 3, ...). Ideally the usual page section numbers (1, 2, 3, …) would be prefixed with a chapter number (say “5”, to give 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, …; or say “A”, to give A.1, A.2, A.3). This stems also from our experience with [[OER4Schools]], where the use of our longer documents (sometimes numbering 100s of printed pages) has been confusing during e.g. during workshops because of the lack of unique section numbers across several pages. (“Let’s look at chapter 5, section 3.” - “No, not this section 3, go to chapter 5 first, then section 3.” vs. “Let’s look at section 5.3.”). | |||
We developed a simple mediawiki template that allows existing section numbers to be prefixed with strings (together with the CSS extension). To use the template on this wiki, see basic documentation provided here [[Template:SectionHeadingPrefix]]. For details about how to install this on other wikis, see [[OER:Documentation]]. | |||
== Project specific page banners. == | |||
On our wiki, different "projects" have different “page banners”, i.e. a section at the top of the page that identifies the project. Compare e.g. http://oer.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/ORBIT, and http://oer.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/OER4Schools. In order for projects to choose to place their outputs on a departmental site (let along a University wide, or wikibooks), they need to have their own identity within that site. Otherwise it is simply not acceptable to project stake holders. We have an existing mechanism for this, but it uses the 'site notice’, so we cannot have site notices, and it relies on an actual source code modification, which makes it difficult for us to upgrade. | |||
A mediawiki extension that the adding of project specific banners to wiki pages, in order to be able to mark a set of pages as belonging to the same project or set of pages. | |||
[[OER:Documentation]] | |||
== Wiki navigation between pages.== | |||
We currently have a mechanism (relying on the semantic extension) that allows several wiki pages to be grouped into a collection, displaying a navigation menu on each page, see e.g. http://oer.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/OER4Schools/Questioning#menuexpand. We would like to assess our implementation of this, and optimise it. | |||
If feasible, and extension that allows better navigation between individual pages in a collection. Otherwise a briefing document on our implementation (together with mediawiki Templates) allowing our approach to be replicated more easily. | |||
[[OER:Documentation]] | |||
= General usability = | |||
* '''Better searching.''' We did some user testing, and the wiki search came up as something that users found confusing, and not really useful for finding the content they were looking for. We currently use a Google custom search, but the integration into the wiki is not ideal. We would like to explore options for searching that allows our audience to find relevant content more easily. | * '''Better searching.''' We did some user testing, and the wiki search came up as something that users found confusing, and not really useful for finding the content they were looking for. We currently use a Google custom search, but the integration into the wiki is not ideal. We would like to explore options for searching that allows our audience to find relevant content more easily. | ||
* '''Collaborative options.''' We would also like to explore options for real-time collaboration, such as the collaborative editor or togetherJS. | * '''Collaborative options.''' We would also like to explore options for real-time collaboration, such as the collaborative editor or togetherJS. | ||
* Visual editor | * Visual editor | ||
= Access = | |||
* '''Assessment of pdf generation.''' We currently generate our own multi-chapter pdf (using a set of scripts), as we have not found the pediapress pdf generation suitable for our type of content. We would like to explore what other pdf production tool are being worked on, and would like to feed Higher Education requirements into that process. | * '''Assessment of pdf generation.''' We currently generate our own multi-chapter pdf (using a set of scripts), as we have not found the pediapress pdf generation suitable for our type of content. We would like to explore what other pdf production tool are being worked on, and would like to feed Higher Education requirements into that process. | ||
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* '''Collaborative options.''' A briefing document on real-time collaboration on mediawiki, aimed at the Higher Education sector. | * '''Collaborative options.''' A briefing document on real-time collaboration on mediawiki, aimed at the Higher Education sector. | ||
=== Better searching.=== | === Better searching.=== | ||
