Instructions for getting started

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Introduction

Welcome aboard WikiEducator's Learning4Content (L4C) project! You are making history by participating in the world's largest training initiative in promoting wiki skills for free content development in education.

These instructions will help you get started. We look forward to meeting you in the discussion forums and welcoming you to the WikiEducator family.

Duration and time commitments

• Total time commitment: between 4 - 5 learning hours
• Number of tutorials: There are ten tutorials which you should work through during the course of the workshop.
• Duration of a L4C workshop: The online workshops are normally scheduled for 10 consecutive working days. Sometimes the OER Foundation will configure alternative formats over shorter periods when combined, for example with Wiki-taster sessions. Please take time differences into account depending on where the host facilitators are located.
• Estimated time per tutorial: Participants will need about 15 to 30 minutes per tutorial.
• Technology requirements: Computer with a Browser (for example, Internet Explorer or Firefox) and an Internet connection
• ICT skills requirement: Basic browsing skills. Wiki editing is very easy and accessible – we will show you how.
• Dates: Please consult the schedule for international workshops or your local country portal for the next local online workshop.

Overview of the technology we use

The aim of an online L4C workshop is to learn how to use a wiki so most of our activities will take place in the wiki. This is a unique course because you will learn and practice your skills in the live WikiEducator community. It's the real thing -- not a simulation!

Please note the following:

• Your facilitators will post the instructions for each days' activities in WikiEducator on the course homepage.
• Each workshop will have its own homepage in the wiki and will be designated with a course code like "eL4C38" for the international eLearning workshops or "OERNZ3" or "OERUG1" for national workshops.
• Your facilitator will send you the URL link for the relevant course homepage by personal email. Bookmark this link in your browser when you receive the link.
• The instructions for each day's activities will be posted in WikiEducator. (You will need to visit the course homepage in the wiki regularly to find the instructions for the course).
• We will use Moodle for hosting the discussion list for the course. We use the Moodle discussion forum for some activities and we will post daily messages with links to the instructions for each day of the workshop. If you have opted to receive email notifications from the Moodle list -- these will be posted to your email account.

Instructions for getting started

You should have received an email with the link to these instructions and the course homepage. Read these instructions before you begin your adventure into our exciting world of wikis for education.

There are four things you need to do to get started:

Step 1 - Orientation

Read through this document.

Step 2 - Registering yourself on the Learning4Content Discussion Group

You should also receive an email with login details for the Moodle discussion group for this workshop. We will use this technology for some activities and for posting the daily links for course instructions in WikiEducator. Please note that you will be prompted to change your password after your first login.

If for some reason you did not receive login particulars for the Moodle discussion forum, you can register yourself.

• Go to: http://moodle.wikieducator.org/login/index.php
• Read the instructions on screen and create an account on Moodle.
• Visit the link for the course forum supplied by your facilitator. You will also find links to the forum from the course homepage in WikiEdcuator.

Tip: We are using two separate technologies for this workshop:

• The WikiEducator website ( http://www.wikieducator.org ) where you will find the course home page, tutorials and pages to practice your skills; and
• A Moodle discussion forum which we will use for some activities and daily instructions.

So you will need two user accounts and corresponding passwords. One account for WikiEducator and another account for the Moodle discussion forum. When setting up your accounts, you may find it easier to use the same username and password. However, remember that you need to have and account on both systems

Step 3 - Posting a personal introduction on the Learning4Content forum

Please introduce yourself in the L4C forum. Tell us a little about yourself, for example:

• Where you are from
• What you do professionally
• What you expect to gain from this online workshop for WikiEducator
• Anything which may be of interest to our group

Guidelines for introducing yourself

1. Go to the course home page
2. Navigate to the page containing the course schedule
3. Read the instructions for Day 1
4. Click on the link provided for introducing yourself to the group
5. Read the personal introductions submitted. Note that on the first day of a large workshop, you may receive a large number of emails. This is normal as people introduce themselves. The volume of course email will reduce considerable once the course is underway.
6. Try and find someone with similar interests from another country and ask them whether they would like to join you in developing a content resource on WikiEducator.

Step 4 - Sign and return your L4C Learning Contract

The L4C L4C Learning Contract defines our learning goals and how they will be accomplished. The WikiEducator community will provide you with free training. In return, we ask that you develop and donate one teaching resource back to the community.

1. Download and read the L4C Learning Contract (http://wikieducator.org/images/3/34/Learningcontract.pdf)
2. Think about the type of resource you would like to develop.
3. Wait for instructions from your facilitator regarding the submission of your Learning Contract.

Step 5 - Starting with the first tutorial

Find the tutorials on WikiEducator ( http://www.wikieducator.org/Help:Contents ).

1. Read the instructions for getting started and instructions for Day 1
2. Start working through the first tutorial: What is a wiki?
3. When you come across a Discussion activity post your thoughts and ideas in the relevant thread created in Moodle or wiki page specified in the instructions.

Tip: The idea is to work through one tutorial each day of the workshop. This will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes of your time. Should you fall behind or miss a few days due to work or personal commitments, it is relatively easy to catch up using the self-study tutorials.

You will find detailed instructions on navigating through the tutorials in the section called “Accessing the tutorials” below.

Accessing the tutorials

You can access the list of tutorials online from the Help link in the Navigation Toolbar on the WikiEducator home page.

Navigating through the tutorials

Each tutorial has its own navigation which is illustrated below. Use these navigation features to access the subsections of each tutorial.

Navigation options for Newbie Tutorials. See key below

1. Use this navigation block to move to the subsections of the current tutorial.
2. This displays the name of the current tutorial
3. At the bottom of each page in the Newbie tutorials, you will find these next/previous arrows. Click on these arrows to move around in the tutorial.

Three categories of activities

The Newbie tutorials include three main types of activity:

1. Independent study activities which you complete on your own. There is no requirement to discuss these in the online forum or wiki. Examples may include reflections, self-assessment or preknowledge activities.
2. Discussion activities which are designed for interaction among participants and facilitators. You may be asked to discuss these in small groups within a classroom situation or be expected to post your thoughts in the online discussion forums or special page in the wiki. Refer to the daily instructions posted on the course homepage in WikiEducator.
3. Skills-based activities which require you to perform an action, but not necessarily post this in the discussion forum. For example, adding an item to your User page in Wikieducator, or practicing text formatting in the wiki.

Naturally, you are free to post any thoughts or ideas relating to the independent study or skills-based activities on the wiki page set up for this purpose. However, this is entirely optional. To avoid confusion, the activity will provide a clear instructions when you should post to the discussion forum.

We look forward to seeing you in the wiki.