Using WordPress for a
Course Website
Jeremy Boggs
Creative Lead, CHNM

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Background
Web designer and developer
WordPress user since 2004
History PhD student, Graduate Lecturer (Similar
to an adjunct, but paid even less)

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Hosted or Self-Install?
Can do many of the same things with
WordPress.com or Edublogs.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Installing WordPress
I’ll assume you know how to do this or can find out
on your own.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Why Use WordPress?
- I’m a code geek, like to tinker
- WordPress offered simplicity, customization
- Openness encouraged me (and the class) to
experiment, both with technology and with content.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Good course website...
Makes it easy to access course information
Encourages student participation
makes it easy for instructor to manage.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Course Sitemap
Plan information architecture and organization of the
site.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Course Sitemap
Displa
y 10 b
Link l
to Fac og posts
Link eb
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Searc hi
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Home y Con site
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forma
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Requirements Projects Schedule Students
Cours Wikip
ep ed
Requ olicies Cours ia entry Week
ly sch Discu
ss
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Atten d books Blog C eblog from ed
datab ule pulled user p with class
ro about
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Movie mments Make ase Link files.
Revie sure a . to
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C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Courseware
WordPress plugin, result of thinking about course
management prior to teaching.
scholarpress.net

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Course Information

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Schedule Entries

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add/Edit Bibliography Entries

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Assignments

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Assignments

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries
Pre-populated with
bibliography entries

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Course Site

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Course Site

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Public Site

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Public Site

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Courseware and Microformats
“...a set of simple, open data formats built upon
existing and widely adopted standards.”
microformats.org

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
hCal Example

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Subscribe to vCal file

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Subscribe to vCal file

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Subscribe to vCal file
Click it!

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Pull Schedule into Calendar App

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Pull Schedule into Calendar App

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Pull Schedule into Calendar App
Includes title,
date, and assignments
in notes

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
WP Book
Take course website, put it into a Facebook
App...seriously.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Facebook App

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Facebook App

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Facebook App

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Weblog
Update or Die
Set an example for students
My best course blog: 200+ posts, 500+ comments

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Student Accounts
Create a sense of class community
Easily track student participation

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Student Groups on Blog

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Student Activity on Blog

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Protect the Students!

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Protect Student List!

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Plugin: Cimy User Extra Fields
- Useful to gather things like student interests, bio,
major, goals for course, etc.
- Also useful to add fields for other services (Flickr,
YouTube, SlideShare).

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Extra fields for:
- Biography
- Image
- Website
- Twitter
- Flickr
- AIM

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Plugin: User Roles
- Allows you to define and manage new roles and
capabilities.
- quot;Class Tech Supportquot; level for two students, who
provided tech help to classmates for a small class
reward. Give them extra permissions.

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Simple Guidelines
- Plan site organization
- use plugins
- Utilize user accounts for students

C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Thanks! Questions?
Lets Talk More:
- clioweb.org
- twitter.com/clioweb
- brightkite.com/clioweb
- slideshare.com/clioweb