Ideas4Content Page

Purpose
The purpose of this page is to generate ideas and draft specifications for improving the way we list and organise access to WikiEducator's content.

Currently, WikiEducator content developments are listed on the Content page. With recent growth in the number of content projects we now need to improve the way we list and structure access to content in WikiEducator.

Current challenges

 * We do not classify content according to subject area
 * We don't have a universal approach to specifying the educational level of content on WikiEducator
 * As content grows, it will become increasingly difficult to differentiate between different educational sectors
 * We don't have a mechanism to distinguish between the types of content, for example a handout, self-study learning materials, a workshop resource etc.
 * We don't provide adequate support and information for new users where and how to list content projects.

Proposed requirements

 * 1) A "portal" page for each the following sectors:
 * 2) * Higher education
 * 3) * Technical and vocational education
 * 4) * School - categorised according to
 * 5) ** Pre primary education
 * 6) ** Primary education (Years 1 to 7)
 * 7) ** Secondary education (Years 8 to 12)
 * 8) * Professional development for educators
 * 9) Mechanism to identify content according to level (eg 2nd year tertiary level or Grade 8/Year 8 secondary)
 * 10) Mechanism to identify content according to type, for example:
 * 11) * Handouts (for teachers to use in face-to-face teaching situations)
 * 12) * Distance education study guides
 * 13) * Free textbooks
 * 14) * Workshop toolkits
 * 15) * Free Software user manuals/guides
 * 16) * Online Activity guides (e.g. Otago Poly's work)
 * 17) Ability to classify according to subject - (see research approach below).

Questions

 * How do we deal with differences in curricula for different countries?
 * Can we develop and customise and info box for the "home page" of content developments based on, for instance, Wikipedia's person infobox?
 * How do we minimalize the technical barriers for Newbies in using our proposed solution?
 * How does the current Content page interact with individual "portal pages" for the different sectors?
 * What graphics should we develop to visualise the new structure?

Research approach for subject classification

 * 1) Review the subject classification typologies of learning object repositories and open content development sites.
 * 2) Seek advice and input from library professionals
 * 3) Propose a subject classification framework for WikiEducator.

Sites to review
Consider the subject classifications used by:


 * /Curriki/
 * /Connexions/
 * /Wikiversity/
 * /OERCommons/
 * /Merlot/
 * /Wikiteach/

/Recommendations/