[Wikiversity-l] Introducing newcomers to the Wikiversity

[Michael R. Irwin]

Morley Chalmers wrote:

snip previous discussion

>>
>>    
>>
>>>>Morley:
>>>>A Wikiversity with teaching materials but no support for online teaching
>>>>would be a major piece of foolishness. And to obsess over this issue is
>>>>simply alienating.
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Michael: 
>>>??  Forgive me but I think you are completely wrong above.   If
>>>Wikiversity accomplishes nothing but becoming a large online free
>>>repository of useful GPL'ed teaching/studying/learning materials
>>>covering wide sections of human knowledge then it will be an outstanding
>>>accomplishment rivaling the invention of the printing press.
>>>      
>>>
>
>A policy of learning materials that cannot be put into service online (at
>least not on the Wikiversity) would have two effects.
>
>1. The materials would have no provenance. Nothing to indicate how good or
>bad, how practical in a teaching situation. They might be accurate but how
>practical? With no visitor guidance on this issue the Wikiversity has no
>ability to build up its representation as a worthy resource. The reverse
>could well develop ‹ the Wikiversity as a dump, as a hodge podge.
>  
>
The materials do not need a provenance if individual teachers and 
institutions are downloading and modifying or presenting them. The 
provenance comes from the presenter.

It is very easy to avoid Wikiversity as a dump. Interested 
administrators and editors can mark and delete material much easier than 
people can dump it. The steady state solution can and will be quite high 
on average.

Hodge podge. We want a hodge podge. The field of human knowledge is very 
hodge podgy. There is currently less cross linking than there should be 
often with identical concepts and totally different vocabularies used in 
differing fields.


>2. With no online activity someone will fork the Wikiversity into an
>alternate site that actively supports online learning. In other words, take
>it commercial. This will happen anyway and is probably harmless. But in my
>view if the Wikiversity can do it itself in a no-advertising manner it will
>have much greater appeal to the public and likely gain grants from various
>bodies. 
>
>Overall, a repository of learning materials, while worthy and useful, is
>only half the equation. By having active online learning as Cormaggio
>envisions above there will inevitably be cross fertilization from the online
>learning back to the course materials themselves. That's exactly the pattern
>in conventional learning institutions. One feeds the other.
>
>In my mind online learning as Cormaggio describes is very doable, even
>inevitable. Exactly how to do it remains for discussions such as this one.
>  
>
One might argue that Wikia is already doing so. They are attempting to 
make the Wiki environment look attractive to small groups of academics 
or students by providing some editing protection and/or some group 
privacy. Personally I think a better approach is an individual computer 
but this will take some serious software development effort if one is to 
link to other's private computers via GNUnet or other distributed access 
technology.

I agree. I also prefer a no advertising model.

I agree the learning provides helpful and necessary feedback into the 
materials. It will be a much faster cycle if we have the feedback direct 
from local learners vs. second hand from instructers. Nevertheless 
should educators start to tailor, use and republish their own materials 
starting from Wikiversity material it should start to undergo an 
adequate evolutionary improvement process.

> 
>  
>
>>>Personally I think we can establish support for online learning and have
>>>been continually amazed that no professional instituation or government
>>>has tackled this for the shear economic benefits to society  .....  the
>>>ever present fear of layoff I suppose.   Perhaps amateurs and
>>>professionals working together at Wikiversity can accomplish this
>>>obvious benefit of interactive learning computer technology.   If not,
>>>then just the repository of GPL'ed information will still be of great
>>>value to every society which chooses to allow its free use.
>>>      
>>>
>
>Lack of vision is the probable explanation. Most of us navigate by looking
>through the rear view mirror.
>  
>
Do not kid yourself. We have plenty of vision. What we lack is critical 
mass levels of internet traffic familar or interested with online self 
study techniques. We may be attempting to establish our own unique 
market as what Wikiversity offers is distinctly different from what most 
mean by traditionally oriented "online learning". Growing new markets is 
always a slow steady challenge until a pivot point is reached.

> 
>  
>
>>Cormaggio:
>>I fully agree with Michael here. In fact, a "free repository of
>>resources" was one of the original proposals for wikiversity - and one
>>which i thought we were being forced into following the board's
>>original rejection. Since then, however, we have sculpted a proposal
>>which promotes the developing of learning communities - so we
>>explicitly also allow for teaching and learning - however successful
>>or not this experiment will actually turn out to be.
>>    
>>
>
>I have the feedback from one "instructor" (a course on the Third Reich)
>saying he/she's very well pleased with how it's going.
>  
>
Cool. How many participants does she have? Can you estimate it?

>For the purpose of my current Wikiversity Newcomers page expansion it's my
>intention to survey other "course" leaders and discover how they're doing
>it, how well it's going and from that provide pointers to other would-be
>"leaders" on how it can be done. This is down the road a bit but was/is part
>of my original vision for a proper newcomers page.
>  
>
Critical number of participants per course type to generate/stimulate an 
interesting fun environment might be a useful parameter.

>I also plan a similar section for would-be learners as well. In other words,
>learn from the participants both whether and how it works.
>  
>
Excellent idea!

High Regards,
mirwin