--- Karl Wick karlwick@yahoo.com wrote:
On the English mailing list it was suggested that we would be developing static textbooks from dynamic Wikipedia resources. I'd like to talk about that because I dont think that is how it will be ...
I see the textbooks growing the same way WP grows .. first to get the basic information in there and then to modify that information to make it easier to understand and to include the changes and advancements in each field. Then, multiple textbooks could arise on one subject but with different goals or target audiences.
The textbooks will be able to use some WP material but probably in modified form to suit the different goals. Plus the textbooks will need lots of original material that was not at home in the encyclopedia format and/or has not yet been developed.
A couple of goals:
I think that we will see our first adoption by students who are looking for quick free information. In time, my hope is that we will have materials so good that they will be used officially in schools to accompany and then replace traditional textbook materials.
This site should be the center on the WWW for collaborative textbook development. I have seen some scattered efforts to do free textbooks out there but none (but --April's) using a wiki. I think if we give them a place and make it friendly that people will use it and our site will grow to be the standard setter. So lets make it friendly to teachers and other people who can be power contributers.
You're missing the point of the question. How are /teachers/ supposed to use a dynamic teaching medium and still form lesson plans and teach the class well? They are used to a static medium. I think the best solution would be create a versioning system like in software (I can't remember if I mentioned this on the list yet.). First, we would work on the first version and get a lot of information to make it adequate. This is the alpha version. Then, it would be frozen except for minor typographical and wording edits. This is beta. Eventually (maybe 6 months) we would consider it to be the official first version. Then, we'd start working on the second version, changing around information and moving chapters around, etc, until it was frozen and finalised too. Then the third version, etc. -LDan
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