Erik Moeller wrote:
On 6/13/06, Erik Moeller eloquence@gmail.com wrote:
The desire to provide a clear focus for Wikibooks on textbooks -- we're discussing this on a mailing list called textbook-l -- is entirely legitimate.
I'd like to add that one question opened up by this is how specialized the project should be. Textbooks are useful as materials complementing regular education in schools and universities, but they are of limited value in distance learning (using eLearning software or not). Similarly, there are many other educational resources, such as audio-based education or interactive education, which are not textbooks.
If we do end up creating Wikiversity, it would be somewhat awkward if all educational resources but one (textbooks) were created there. I think we should have one wiki dedicated to developing resources that directly target an educational context, not multiple ones.
This, to me, indicates that this whole question needs much more discussion at a higher level, rather than just some statements of policy from the top.
Regarding Wikiversity .... there are still some of us advocating that Wikiversity be a standalone project for developing and delivering educational materials of all kinds. When a textbook is ready for Wikibooks or a multimedia animation is ready for wikicommons then the participants at Wikiversity can be trusted to migrate the materials if it is appropriate.
It should not be dictated by outsiders to Wikiversity participants what materials they can control in their own project space for maximun educational efficiency.
The typical argument concerns duplication of data on hard drives and duplication of effort. Regarding the first I hope we can ignore it given Moore's law, the current price of hard drives and the liklihood that Wikiversity will be approved in two or three decades. Regarding the second, writing, studying and wikis are all about duplicated efforts and integration/separation of the same.
It will be a serious damper on Wikiversity's community to routinely have groups showing up insisting local materials be relocated and deleted locally only to find out that the other projects have inappropriately modified the material or otherwise damaged their easy utility by newcomers to Wikiversity.
Personally I think that the anticipated Wikiversity participants can be trusted to work with other projects to locate mature materials effectively. There should be no inflexible mandate built into the project ground rules. To establish an effective pleasant learning environment (the only kind that will prosper) the participants need maximum freedom with minimal effective core guidelines.
regards, lazyquasar