Workgroup:Categories

Categories provide the map with which members can find their way around WikiEducator and the connections with which members can make to each other or between resources. Both of these qualities, ease of use and connectivity, are necessary to the success of WikiEducator.

Purpose
The purpose of this workgroup is to achieve a category structure which facilitates browsing related content, as well as finding specific content, inasmuch as categories are capable. The workgroup will devise and implement ways in which categories can achieve this.

Scope
The scope of this workgroup covers any subject matter that is determined to be of concern to categories, either directly or indirectly such as in tutorials or methods of improving categories' ease of use. Any matter should be discussed and agreed upon as falling under this scope, before action is taken.

The categories workgroup is a WikiEducator community workgroup established to improve and enhance WikiEducator's category structure. As such, this workgroup is committed to the core WikiEducator values:


 * Social Inclusion: The categories workgroup is open to any Wikieducator who would like to join.
 * monthly informational posts are sent out on the main list, including an invitation to join the group.
 * all conversations are open and available for any WikiEducator member to read and respond to.


 * Freedoms: The category structure, procedures, guidelines, and instructional tools, to be created by the categories workgroup, will build on the opinions of Wikieducators as to relevant and useful categorisation and will not at any point attempt to impose a fixed structure.


 * Improving technologies and reusability of digital learning resources: The categories workgroup strives to create a category structure and processes for building on that structure that respect the unique nature of educational content and facilitate its reuse and improvement.


 * Forward-looking disposition: The categories workgroup strives to create a category structure and collaborative processes for building on that structure that facilitates the use of open educational resources in all educational contexts.





Specified outputs
The following outputs comprise the current focus of the workgroup's efforts. The list is revised as needed to reflect currently active work. Each output has a corresponding entry on the tasklist page. Completed tasks are listed here.

Leadership style
This group is made up of equals and collaborators, regardless of whom may hold the greater amount of knowledge or experience at any one time or another.

Though the original direction has been set by the convenors, this may be changed via membership consensus at any time. Tasks may be set/suggested by any member.

If it is found that a temporary leadership role is needed in any situation, the need should be agreed upon, and the position filled by a volunteer.

Skills required to achieve workgroup objectives
We are looking for members who:
 * Understand, or would like to achieve an understanding of how categories work (WMF's category manual)
 * Understand and know how to use wiki syntax, having a familiarity with these tutorials and guides:
 * Wikieducator tutorial/What is a wiki
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Editing Basics
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Basic Text Formatting
 * Wikieducator tutorial/New Pages and Links
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Collaborative Editing
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Communication and Interaction
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Pedagogical Templates
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Navigation templates
 * Wikieducator tutorial/Support templates
 * Help:Tables
 * Help:Signature

Note: These skills are not a requirement to join, but skills we expect to develop and pursue towards our workgroup objective.

Participants
It is preferred that if you wish to participate in the activities of this workgroup, you should sign up. It is not necessary to sign up in order to participate in discussion. It is encouraged that any interested WikiEducator member participate in discussions.


 * Note: This charter applies to all members participating in this workgroup (whether or not they appear in this section).

Member responsibilities
Members of the category workgroup agree to:
 * regularly contribute to discussions taking place on workgroup talk pages,
 * contribute to workgroup wide task completion and volunteer for assigned task completion,
 * and strive toward a consensus that realises the best and most reasonable outcomes in WikiEducator's interests.

Members and signatures
To participate in the activities of this workgroup, please sign below.

Spokesperson
This person is responsible for keeping the WikiEducator community up to date on the workgroup's activities. Updates (posted to the WikiEducator list) should be no more than one month apart, and should be archived to a subpage using this format: Workgroup:Categories/yyyymmdd - brief title. The archived message should be linked to from the charter, and placed in the Categories workgroup category.

The spokesperson is a voluntary position, not requiring any formal elective process. He or she may designate someone else to send the update if not available to do so himself. The spokesperson may also resign at any time, and another volunteer may take up the responsibilities. The title "Spokesperson" is listed, associated with the workgroup member who is currently serving as spokesperson, in the "Members and signatures" section of the charter.





Resources to achieve Workgroup objectives
The following informational resources may be helpful:
 * The above links
 * Special:Categories
 * Special:UncategorizedCategories
 * Special:UncategorizedImages
 * Special:UncategorizedPages
 * Special:UncategorizedTemplates
 * Special:UnusedCategories
 * Special:WantedCategories
 * Wikipedia's article message boxes or WoWWiki's article management tags
 * WoWWiki's ambox code or Wikipedia's Ombox, Ambox, Imbox, Cmbox, Tmbox code
 * Wikipedia's guidelines for categorization

Potential resource issues

 * 1) Does this Workgroup require financial resources? No
 * 2) Are there any legal issues that might be of concern? No
 * 3) Do any of the planned outputs impact on community governance issues? No
 * 4) Are there any security risks? No
 * 5) Are there any technological dependencies which might be difficult to support or enhancements needed to fully realize the desired outcomes? Yes, the group may decide to recommend implementation of one or more MediaWiki extensions to facilitate the implementation of categories (see corresponding task). For example:
 * 6) *CategoryTree
 * 7) *CustomCategory (may need customisation for direct benefit by WikiEducator)
 * If the group decides to recommend an extension(s), a proposal, outlining the potential costs and benefits, will be submitted to the WikiEducator Community Council for approval and implementation.

Time
This workgroup's outputs are expected to evolve as we progress and learn. Also, the time involved in some tasks may not be fully understood until shortly before work begins. Thus, few tasks will have clear deadlines, and we proceed with the broad goal of creating a category structure, including the necessary policy and guidelines, within six months of the approval of this charter.







Ground rules (the process)
In an asynchronous fashion, the intended results of the workgroup will be completed by way of tasks and discussion. Tasks will be completed by voluntary sign-up on the task list. Discussion will be used to reach consensus on decisions necessary to choose and complete tasks. These discussions will take place in either this |talk page, or one more relevant to the subject. For instance, discussions regarding the proposed category map should take place on the category map's talk page

Editing: For the most part, editing should take place only by individuals that have signed up for the particular task, unless the task list states that sign ups are not needed.

Communication: Communication will take place amongst members via talk page. Communications will be made no less than monthly, by the spokesperson, to the WikiEducator community via posts to the WikiEducator list.

Decision-making: Decision making will occur by consensus. See also:
 * What is Consensus?
 * Consensus

External communications
Workgroup:Categories/20091106 - Request charter review

Workgroup:Categories/20091012 - First announcement

The project plan
Because of the size and ongoing nature of this categorisation effort, the project plan is viewed as a dynamic work-in-progress. Current work tasks are detailed on the /Tasklist/ subpage. Completed tasks are listed here.

Evaluating workgroup success
This workgroup's progress is measured by the completion of tasks and the reaching of decisions determined by consensus driven discussion. The progress is monitored from the task list.

Success, however, is measured by ongoing observation, even after completion of the workgroup's immediate objectives, of WikiEducator members and their continued use of the category system. The workgroup should be deemed successful if members are seen to reliably make use of the system in the "correct" manner.

Criteria for approval
The charter adequately outlines the workgroup's purpose, work plan, and process for collaboration and will serve as effective support for the group's future work together.

The charter establishes the workgroup as a WikiEducator community workgroup, to facilitate the consideration and approval by the WikiEducator Community Council of policy and guidelines that result from the group's work.

Comments and discussion on the features of the charter have been resolved via consensus, such that no dissenting opinions remain.













Approval process

 * 1) Upon completion of the first draft of the charter and with consensus from Workgroup members, the WikiEducator community will be invited to "review and comment" on the charter specifics during the 30 calendar days following the post.
 * 2) Workgroup members will revise and amend the charter based on feedback and post a notification of the final proposed charter on the WikiEducator list.
 * 3) When discussions involving the draft charter suggest that it is complete and satisfactory, Workgroup members will be asked to signify approval or disapproval of the charter.