User talk:Charles Matthews

IRC?

Hi Charles, I'd quite like to help with the new version of the newsletter. Do you fancy hopping over to IRC to chat about it? Regards, Rock drum (talk • contribs) 16:48, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Don't do IRC, sorry, and also I'm running out of time this week trying to get it done - I'm working overtime as it is. Since everything is for Board approval, it's kind of difficult to accept editing. But maybe if I gave you some images to upload from Commons ...? That would certainly help. Charles Matthews 16:51, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Ok. But surely if they're on commons they can be used here? Thanks, Rock drum (talk • contribs) 16:54, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Er, to clarify, it's Johnbod's piece and he knows exactly which. I've asked him to list them here (four) and then we can take stock. Back in a moment. May be wikification to do, also. Charles Matthews 17:00, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

I'd be willing to do that. :-) Rock drum (talk • contribs) 17:03, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Good, that's the map into Newsletter/December2010/Features#Yeonpyeong_on_Wikipedia_by_w:User:Maproom. I'm working against the clock here, an unusual experience on a wiki. I'd be very grateful for format work, and wikification on the features; but please no copy editing at all, or we'll get into a jam with approval. Basically hands off the text, and draw my attention to any rough bits. Great to have someone offering. Now I'll look if I can figure out Johnbod's images myself. Charles Matthews 17:06, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

If the fancy Comments thing needs it, you could put each feature on a separate page and transclude (making this up somewhat). I do need section-anchored links for the email version ... thoughts? Charles Matthews 17:22, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Individual features could be put on subpages and transcluded along with their corresponding comments. WOuld you like me to do this? Thanks, Rock drum (talk • contribs) 17:25, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Yes please. Sorry if I'm coming across disjointed - I'm also cooking and rushing up and down stairs right now. Charles Matthews 17:37, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

I've added 3 pics, but I'm not sure there's room for The Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez (National Gallery), a recent FA. There are lots of links that can be done if Rock drum wants to start on that. I can check/help a bit later. Johnbod 17:24, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

What's the issue with the Rokeby Venus? Just wrong size of image? Charles Matthews 17:37, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

It won't fit in without overlapping, on my screen anyway. The Thompson needs to be big enough to read the text. I'll have a go. Johnbod 17:40, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Ok - looks ok on mine. Johnbod 17:44, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks to both of you. This will be officially published, by being linked from Newsletter, on Monday according to current plans. I'm concentrating on the text, happy to leave format and wikification to you and other proper people. I'll look everything over before it goes live. Heartening to have help on a dark Friday afternoon. Charles Matthews 17:48, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

FYI, I've just finished putting all of the items in features onto their own subpages. Thanks, Rock drum (talk • contribs) 18:04, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Rock Drum, there are lots of links to English WP that could be added to my bit. Most pretty obvious. Johnbod 14:05, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

I've just gone through and done quite a lot. Are there any more you want doing? Thanks, Rock drum (talk • contribs) 17:01, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

Train the Trainers

I am pleased to announce that the Train the Trainers event which you have expressed interest in will take place on the weekend of 9-10 June at the Wikimedia UK office, 56 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.

The timings of the training are roughly: Saturday 9:30 am - 6:30pm, Sunday 9am - 5pm. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided; we are also planning to go for a meal after the training on Sunday.

It is vital that you do not miss the start of the training session, so before confirming your availability please do make sure you can make the start time of the training.

We are able to cover travel and accommodation, including if you need to travel on Friday - an advance notice will be appreciated!

Please reply promptly by emailing daria.cybulska@wikimedia.org.uk (or 0207 065 0994) and confirming your availability - places are limited.

If you are not able to attend this time, we will have another training in October, and you will be more than welcome to sign up then. Richard Symonds (talk) 15:18, 23 May 2012 (UTC)

Auxiliary wiki for VLE

As I mentioned at the WWI editathon, I feel it is important to consider what is the most appropriate auxillary wiki. As well as using the WMUK wiki, I would suggest two other possibilities:

• Wikiversity (WV) WMUK already has a commitment to promote WV and this could be an ideal way to realise that commitment
• Wikieducator (WE) This project certainly sits well within the purposes of WE

Both have positive and negative aspects. Perhaps if we could first develop what is required of the auxilary wiki, we could then have a proper discussion.

I feel one of the shortcomings of having it on Wikimedia UK is that it will then appear that the resources being developed are in some way exclusive to WMUK members, which I do not think either is or should be the intention. I would not envisage any problems on either WV or WE having resources clearly identified as part of the WMUK development and what protocols would be needed to ensure that the resources are maintained in a way to meet the requirements of expected users. However there are distinct advantages of joining either of these existing communities.Leutha (talk) 11:53, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

Understood. I was in fact writing something for the JISC list to cover that point. Let me paste it here whole.

<starts>

I have been asked to lead a Wikimedia UK project to support distance learning. I have read this as an invitation to specify:

1. how distance learning can be brought in principle within our community values and "wiki way";
2. what to do to set up a system compliant with (1) for WMUK, and
3. how to get on with it.

I call (1) "wikimodule". It turns out that in the terms set out at http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Charles_Matthews#Wikimodule, a wikimodule system has a number of inputs to specify, namely

• (a) a course management system (CMS);
• (b) an "indoctrination" that will set up a trainer status group;
• (c) a broad set of purposes;
• (d) a narrower set of purposes; and
• (e) an auxiliary wiki.

So far the VLE project for WMUK has decided that Moodle will be the CMS, and the trainers will be accredited for it by WMUK. The broad purposes will be those of the Wikimedia movement, and the narrow purposes those of WMUK as charity. The default assumption is that the auxiliary wiki will be WMUK's.

{I have been asked "what about Wikiversity?" That is two questions to me: first, should the default assumption be that Wikiversity is the default wiki? Secondly, if a Wikiversity group were interested in a wikimodule system, could that share Moodle hosting with WMUK's system? I believe the second question is more interesting at this point.)

All that said, let me look at educational outcomes. We want good modules and featured modules written. A good module is one publishable as teaching material. A featured module will represent excellence and will be actually featured on Portal:Educational quality on the auxiliary wiki, a portal that is controlled by trainers. Featured modules are examplars, therefore. That is not only their perceived teaching, but their objectives being important.

In any case these points add up to a worked-out system in some important respects. What I need to do now is to understand "open educational resources" well enough to see about compliance. I have been referred by a JISC person to UKOER. <ends>

86.6.26.208 12:15, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

Actually, the question I posed was not so much "what about wikiversity", but rather "what is the most appropriate auxillary wiki", offering two other platforms and asking what the most salient criteria for selecting a given platform might be. I am not quite sure what the value of introducing a default assumption to this consideration might be. Certainly Wikieducator uses the wikis combined with moodle - in fact I am currently doing their Open content licensing for educators course, which starts on Wednesday. One of the reasons that I have joined this course is to see how it is run. You might also find WikiMaster] of interest as it provides a progress path for developing trainers. I have looked at the UKOER material but am unaware of any wikibased resources there. It would be great if you could track some down. HEA are of course already collaborating with Wikiversity on the ASGELE archive. By the way is there a reason why you have started the wikimodule discussion on your user page?Leutha (talk) 22:44, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

Andy Mabbett had asked "what about wikiversity?" before you and I met on Saturday. The "default assumption" goes along with saying this is a WMUK project, the WMUK wiki can be assumed to be run compatibly with its purposes as a charity, so having its wikimodule system there can also be assumed to be compatible, or if not within its power to fix. But Jon Davies or Martin Poulter could persuade me otherwise: I'm reporting to them.

As for this forum, it just seemed appropriate to me. We can adjourn; but as you may appreciate I've had a busy first week. The mail I mentioned has now gone to the JISC list Martin set up, and we can do a thread there also. If you haven't received the mail then presumably we or I have some teething troubles on that list: prompt me about that. 86.6.26.208 14:37, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

THanks for the clarification, Charles. I think it is probably best if we have a single space for discussion of these issues. Yes I did the get the JISCmail posting, it is just that I responded here before that posting came out. I shall copy the material here into a JISC mail posting. Then I would suggest you indicate which platform you would prefer for this discussion. Leutha (talk) 22:26, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

There's a detailed reply now from me on the JISC list. We can discuss WikiEducator most usefully there. 86.6.26.208 06:24, 19 June 2012 (UTC)