Textbook-l September 2006

textbook-l@lists.wikimedia.org

15 participants
8 discussions

Problem with NPOV
by Piotr "Derbeth" Kubowicz 27 Oct '06

27 Oct '06

What do you think of http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Christianity/Living_as_a_Christian and http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Imamat_or_Successorship_After_the_Last_Prophet… I noticed there are more and more users who contribute to books that are made with strongly islamic point of view (we already have some texts about islam: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Category:Islam), with nicks like "Truebeliever", "Believer" etc. I'm afraid that we might attract some zealots who see us as a good place to develop propaganda. Generally, I think that we should think how we should treat books about religious topics. -- Piotr 'Derbeth' Kubowicz Jabber id: derbeth(a)jabber.wp.pl Pomóż Wikibooks stworzyć największy zbiór otwartych podręczników! http://pl.wikibooks.org/ Opera - the fastest browser on Earth! http://www.opera.com/

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Textbook style
by Magnus Manske 10 Oct '06

10 Oct '06

While aimlessly browsing through wikibooks, I suddenly realized that our textbooks don't look like - well, textbooks. Suppose I want to learn from a wikibooks textbook. I open a chapter (sorry, a "module";-) and it looks like wikipedia. That is not bad in itself, however, IMHO it has some drawbacks. First, I'm distracted by the sidebar. If I want to learn about a topic, I don't want to go to the "staff lounge" or the "community portal". And when I scroll down, the sidebar is replaced by - a really blank space. That's all fine on wikipedia, where you come to be part of the experience, or to look up some topic, then leave. Learning from a textbook is another process altogether. Perhaps even more significant, out textbooks look like web pages. Even the downloadable PDF (screenshot at [1]) looks like a printed web page. I don't know what your textbooks look like, but most of mine (the better ones, actually) don't resemble a web page sent to the printer. Thes have this sidebar, which is not blank like ours, but contains important information, like additional figures, notes, and keywords for the paragraph they're next to. I'm not sure if that layout is merely done to make the book longer and thus more expensive, but I'd wager there's a good reason behind it. I for one find these things useful and welcome our side-scribbling overlords. Long story short, I made a mockup [2] of an alternative viewing mode for wikibooks. It currently features only a single page from the Biochemistry book, but you'll get the idea. There's a small book/chapter navigation bar on the top, and a list of headings within the page on the bottom (might not work in IE, but it's just a demo). The key feature are sidenotes, which are currently done by manually hacked HTML, but could be done automatically. For this, I propose a new extension, <sidenote> or the like, which would include each sidenote. In normal mode, like it is now, it would be ignored, or converted to a <div style='float:right'>, similar to a thumbnailed image. In the alternative viewing mode, it would be rendered like the mock-up. The extension would likely be hidden by templates: {{sidenote}} for normal text, {{sideimage}} for images with caption, {{sidealert}}, {{sidetip}} etc. with standard icons. Two questions: * Would this be something the wikibooks crowd would like to use? * Would I have backup from the tech department (I write it, you turn it on)? Magnus [1] http://tools.wikimedia.de/~magnus/bookmockup/book_now.png [2] http://tools.wikimedia.de/~magnus/bookmockup/bookmockup.php

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Tajik Wikibooks
by Francis Tyers 24 Sep '06

24 Sep '06

Hey, When there is time, could a developer please set up Tajik Wikibooks? The link to the request is here: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_new_languages#Tajik_Wikibooks Many thanks, Fran

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Global Text Project
by Erik Moeller 21 Sep '06

21 Sep '06

FYI - we need to talk to these people. http://globaltext.org/ Global Text Project * The goal is to create a free library of 1,000 electronic textbooks for students in the developing world * The library will cover the range of topics typically encountered in the first two years of a university's undergraduate programs * The global academic community and global corporations will be engaged in creating and sponsoring this library The project will create open content electronic textbooks that will be freely available from a Web site. Distribution will also be possible via paper, CD, or DVD. Our goal initially is to focus on content development and Web distribution, and we will work with relevant authorities to facilitate dissemination by other means when bandwidth is unavailable or inadequate. Thus, while the goal, educating the disadvantaged, is the same as that of the $100 laptop project, we are not tied to a particular device or medium. We have experience with developing a free textbook, XML: Managing Data Exchange. This project started in January 2004 when a graduate class at the University of Georgia wrote the first version of the book. Subsequent graduate and undergraduate classes at the University of Georgia and elsewhere have improved and extended the book. It has been used as the XML text in a variety of classes, and in each case the class has been required to leave the book in better shape that they received it at the beginning of the term. Experience with this project and the success of WikiBooks has convinced us that we can further develop the idea of free and open content books to increase the value of these books to students, particularly those who cannot afford paper-based textbooks. We want to add several innovations to improve the quality of the books. -- Peace & Love, Erik

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Problem with NPOV, and the textbook definition question
by John McC 11 Sep '06

11 Sep '06

Actually, 2 of our philosophy books are rather missionary too, one mostly advocating for a "Universal Religion". I don't think there's any baby in that bathwater... both the religious groups and the athiest groups should just start another wiki without the NPOV restriction. I suppose there could be "relative point of view", but even then it seems the relative groups would get pretty small (i.e., "A baptist, a pentecostal, and an episcopalian go into a bar to try to write a wikibook on christian doctrine... <insert punchline here>"). I think keeping the textbook definition fairly vague is better than pigeon-holing it. Aside from texts that might be used for graduate school through kindergarden, there is other materials that might be used for emergency preparedness and response, scouting, etc. Even some of the most mundane of the how-tos (how to tie a tie, shaving, etc.) might be a good "textbook for the school of life" if a single mom is trying to help her male child get better opportunities. A book on frisbee golf (not sure if there is one, but there probably will be eventually) can be used in gym class or by a father and son tossing team. The first aid book can be used to train EMTs or 10 year olds. A book on horticulture can help train agricultural workers, as could a book on agriculture help gardeners get a leg up. The cookbook might be good for culinary school, while at the same time being useful for anyone who eats. I do understand the dislike for video game guides... I don't think I'd want to see a book on "how to use a beer bong" for similar reasons. Some video games are (I'm told) educational, and I think having something about them might be ok. Shoot-em-up games (etc.) might be good for hand-eye coordination, but having a book about the game isn't necessarily going to enhance this. IOW, textbooks need to be useful for building mind, body, career opportunities, and perhaps houses, but should they be written for building (or debunking) souls? That way leads to somewhere we might not want to go. -johnny. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Textbook-l] Global Text Project
by Jaroslaw Lipszyc 09 Sep '06

09 Sep '06

> From: Robert Scott Horning <robert_horning(a)netzero.net> > that is why I also consider the OLPC project to be something > of a scam as well Maybe this is just a strategical effort to get the project happen in the first place? You cannot declare war to all hardware and software vendors and hope that they will let you work in peace. I think that by declaring limited scope of the project OLPC bought themselves precious time. What will happen after plants are set up and 100$ laptops start to roll out is a different matter, and i'll be not surprised if those laptops start to appear in Wal-Mart (and Media Markt, hopefully, because Europe also need it :-) BTW - i read this list for some time now, hello to all. greetings Jaroslaw Lipszyc

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Google Book Search
by Piotr "Derbeth" Kubowicz 06 Sep '06

06 Sep '06

Today I found news about a new Google project - Google Book Search. This service, available at http://books.google.com/, allows users to search for books and browse some of them online. In most cases, only parts of books are available and the whole material is copyrighted. Google Book Search also offers long description of every book, links to online stores where the book is available, possibility to search words in a single books and more features. Currently I have not seen any books from Wikibooks there. I find this project as a real chance for Wikibooks to promote itself and its content; we should add our PDF versions there if it is possible. Google says it does not take any money for adding new books to its search engine, but I am not sure if they require ISBN number for each book. What is your opinion on this project? -- Piotr 'Derbeth' Kubowicz Jabber id: derbeth(a)jabber.wp.pl Pomóż Wikibooks stworzyć największy zbiór otwartych podręczników! http://pl.wikibooks.org/ Opera - the fastest browser on Earth! http://www.opera.com/

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Wikibooks in the press
by Piotr "Derbeth" Kubowicz 02 Sep '06

02 Sep '06

There is a very enthusiactic articles about Wikibooks, showing how useful free texbooks can be with example of Geometry book. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525979594&pagename=JPost%2FJ… In fact, I don't remember such an enthusiastic text about Wikibooks in last time. -- Piotr 'Derbeth' Kubowicz Jabber id: derbeth(a)jabber.wp.pl Pomóż Wikibooks stworzyć największy zbiór otwartych podręczników! http://pl.wikibooks.org/ Opera - the fastest browser on Earth! http://www.opera.com/

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Textbook-l September 2006