The Learning Web Swiss Army Knife for Online Instruction Jordan Carswell & Ruben Duran Houston Community College “ ”

Swiss Army Knife for Online Instruction

The Design of the Learning Web Jordan Carswell, Web Designer, Northwest College The Learning Web in Practice Ruben Duran, Web Designer, Central College What We Will Cover

The Design of the Learning Web Jordan Carswell, Web Designer, Northwest College

The Learning Web in Practice Ruben Duran, Web Designer, Central College

What is the Learning Web? The Learning Web is an instructional web site built using an open source content management system, Plone. It includes many popular web tools that allow both faculty and staff to produce content that can be shared with others.

The Learning Web is an instructional web site built using an open source content management system, Plone. It includes many popular web tools that allow both faculty and staff to produce content that can be shared with others.

Turning Points MIT announces its OpenCourseWare initiative in 2001 WebCT debuts Vista at its 2002 Users Conference in Boston, MA

MIT announces its OpenCourseWare initiative in 2001

WebCT debuts Vista at its 2002 Users Conference in Boston, MA

Learning Web Timeline Begun at Northwest College in 2003 Adopted by all five HCC colleges in 2004 Currently used by over 1,000 faculty members among the colleges

Design Guidelines Several recurrent themes emerged during the development of the Learning Web: Open Standards User Ownership Community Public Access 4

Several recurrent themes emerged during the development of the Learning Web:

Open Standards

User Ownership

Community

Public Access

Built Using Open Standards The Learning Web uses Plone, an award-winning open source content management system. GNU GPL Section 508 W3C WAI-AA XHTML/CSS WebDAV i18n

The Learning Web uses Plone, an award-winning open source content management system.

GNU GPL

Section 508

W3C WAI-AA

XHTML/CSS

WebDAV

i18n

Plone & Open Source We chose Plone as much as we chose open source. Plone exemplifies the best of such projects: Mature, competitive product Easy to develop, administrate and use Active and diverse user community Many additional plugins available

Mature, competitive product

Easy to develop, administrate and use

Active and diverse user community

Many additional plugins available

Scaling for the Enterprise When we hit critical mass, we realized we had outgrown our humble beginnings and needed professional help. Security Scalability IT Limitations

When we hit critical mass, we realized we had outgrown our humble beginnings and needed professional help.

Security

Scalability

IT Limitations

Faculty & Staff Ownership The Learning Web is designed to be easy to use yet still offer a rich set of web-based tools. Common Structure Multiple Content Types Training & Support

Common Structure

Multiple Content Types

Training & Support

The Learning Web Structure Every Learning Web Account has an easy to follow structure to help get users started quickly.

Every Learning Web Account has an easy to follow structure to help get users started quickly.

Through the Web Editing

Familiar File & Folder Organization

Point & Click Publishing

Initial Account Setup & Training Administrator Creates ID before new users come to training Photo taken or user submits photo Setup photo session Home page created based on template In-person training sessions: individual or group Users leave training session with home page and course materials online

Administrator Creates ID before new users come to training

Photo taken or user submits photo

Setup photo session

Home page created based on template

In-person training sessions: individual or group

Users leave training session with home page and course materials online

Ongoing Support Short how-tos are available to walk users through common tasks like adding content and creating links Central College has created tutorials for more complex activities like creating a blog. Individual and department support is available through our Curriculum Innovation Centers.

Short how-tos are available to walk users through common tasks like adding content and creating links

Central College has created tutorials for more complex activities like creating a blog.

Individual and department support is available through our Curriculum Innovation Centers.

Blogs Photo Albums Wikis Bookmarks RSS Advanced Content Creation Tools In addition to the basic publishing tools, the Learning Web provides its own versions of popular web products.

Blogs

Photo Albums

Wikis

Bookmarks

RSS

Uses of the Learning Web Today Basic (Contact Info, Syllabus, Course Materials) Intermediate (Video, Photo Albums, Bookmarks) Advanced (Blogs, Wikis, RSS)

Basic (Contact Info, Syllabus, Course Materials)

Intermediate (Video, Photo Albums, Bookmarks)

Advanced (Blogs, Wikis, RSS)

Community Participation The entire learning community is represented on the Learning Web –not only faculty, but technologists, librarians, administrators and secretaries. Connect the entire learning enterprise Build an institutional knowledge base Instruction Technology Research Communication Information

Connect the entire learning enterprise

Build an institutional knowledge base

Access to Expertise & Knowledge When anyone in the organization can publish, tacit knowledge can find expression and an audience.

Open to the Public Models of Excellence Cumulative Effects Create Communities of Practice As each professor adds to their own Learning Web the overall effect is wider access to a greater body of knowledge.

Models of Excellence

Cumulative Effects

Create Communities of Practice

Benefits of Openness Innovative members serve as models for the best uses of technology. More good materials become available to all students for each course as more faculty contribute to a common body of knowledge. Communities of practice emerge from as faculty and students publicly engage in the learning process.

Innovative members serve as models for the best uses of technology.

More good materials become available to all students for each course as more faculty contribute to a common body of knowledge.

Communities of practice emerge from as faculty and students publicly engage in the learning process.

Flexible Licensing Options Creative Commons licensing is now built-in to the Learning Web so members can choose how they share their work with others.

Creative Commons licensing is now built-in to the Learning Web so members can choose how they share their work with others.

Control Over the Publishing Process Plone’s advanced workflow engine allows authors to only release content when they’re ready.

Plone’s advanced workflow engine allows authors to only release content when they’re ready.

Are We There Yet? We are here ;-) Sort of…we’re somewhere between the ivory tower and suburbia.

In the Works Upgrade to Plone 2.1 Update member template Better tagging of content, thus better sharing Easier syndication of content both ways

Upgrade to Plone 2.1

Update member template

Better tagging of content, thus better sharing

Easier syndication of content both ways

Further Information http://learning.nwc.hccs.edu/members/jordan.carswell/cit2006 Additional materials from the presentation can be found on the Northwest College Learning Web:

http://learning.nwc.hccs.edu/members/jordan.carswell/cit2006