Hi All; My name is Cheryl Bender and I've been lurking on the list trying to decide how to get involved when this message caught my eye. I've been interested in how Moodle as well as Sloodle (Second Life on top of Moodle, see www.sloodle.org ) can be effectively used in various types of training.
I have no particular expertise in this area. I've installed Moodle at home and played around a bit. My background is as a software developer (mostly databases using SQL Server and Access or VB) and have done online help (WinHelp and HTMLHelp) using RoboHelp and have also written technical documentation and user manuals for software. I'm not sure how to do the video segments Gabriel mentioned but would be willing to do some research and try to figure it out. Let me know if there is some way I can help on this. Thanks and look forward to working with you. Cheryl -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Frank Peters Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 3:48 AM To: dev@documentation.openoffice.org Subject: Re: [documentation-dev] New Documentation Project Idea Hi Gabriel, > My name is Gabriel Gurley and I have been a higher education > instructor and administrator for nearly 8 years. I wanted to contact > the group regarding a project idea I have in mind that may be of > assistance to the Documentation project. Before I mention my idea, I > would like to give you a brief history of prior work I have created related > to OpenOffice.org. > > A couple of years ago, my OpenOffice.org 2 training guide specifically > for use in an educational and corporate training environment was > published. The book, titled "A Conceptual Guide to OpenOffice.org 2 > for Windows and Linux", has been released under the Creative > Commons-ShareAlike 3.0 and GNU Free Documentation licenses. It is a > 280-page book to help users and educators learn to use the office > productivity suite. All of the documentation was written by myself, > and the lessons found in the book were written with end-users, > students and teachers in mind. In accordance with the CC and GNU > licenses, I have made the book's text available as a free download at > my website > (www.gabrielgurley.com) and paperback copies are available for schools > or individuals who desire having printed documentation. > > Moreover, a couple of months ago I released an online distance > learning package based upon the book for use with Moodle. Upon > release of the package, I gave a copy to Ian Lynch, an OpenOffice.org > contributor and project lead for INGOTs (www.theingots.org), to make > freely available for use on the INGOTs Moodle site > (http://theingots.org/moodle/course/category.php?id=3). Ian and I are > encouraging INGOTs students, as well as the community in general, to > freely make adaptations of the module and make language translations > of the package if there is an interest to do so. It looks like we need to link to thise resources from the docs website. We still seem to miss a lot that's out there... > For the past two years, my goal has been to develop a comprehensive, > quality training package for OpenOffice.org that educators and > corporate trainers can utilize for end-user instructional purposes. I > have distributed the printed editions of the book through Lulu and > various book distributors, and have utilized the proceeds from the > sale of the book to provide evaluation copies to educators who inquire > about the book, as well as to purchase requisite hardware/software for > creating the press-ready files necessary for making printed copies available. > > My desire is to not only make the training materials free (as in cost > and in terms of licensing), but also to take the feedback I have > received to improve the guide. Moreover, I would like to make another > idea I have had for some time become a reality (if you all feel that > there is a great need for such); creating a series of podcasts / > videos that coincide with the training guide and distance learning > package to create a complete training package. The project idea I have is as > follows: > > - utilizing the documentation I have created for OpenOffice.org 2, > make updates / improvements and release a second, press-ready edition > based upon the upcoming release of OpenOffice.org 3. The training > guide would be made available in a high-resolution, press-ready, > bookmarked PDF file where users could utilize it as either an eBook or > upload it to Lulu and other print-on-demand publishing services to make > low-cost printed copies. So that is the training guide accompanying the Moodle package (pardon my ignorance, I am not familiar with Moodle)? > - utilizing the documentation and feedback I have received from the > release of the OpenOffice.org 2 Moodle training package, make updates > / improvements and release a second edition of the package based upon > the release of OpenOffice.org 3. The package would be made available > as a Moodle ZIP compressed file for easy installation onto a Moodle server. > > - to coincide with the printed documentation and Moodle course > package, develop a series of video podcasts (approximately 5-8 minutes > in length for each segment) that coincide with the hands-on lessons > presented in the press-ready documentation and Moodle course package. > The individual podcasts / video segments will be made available in the > .mp4 format for either download via the OpenOffice.org website or, if > desired, make available via iTunes U. The individual video segments > would also be combined into a single, unencrypted ISO-9660 file for > download, where educators and trainers anywhere in the world can burn > a copy onto a blank DVD for use with a conventional DVD player. So that would be a closed series of v-podcasts to accompany the training? > - release all documentation under the appropriate licenses and make > available on the OpenOffice.org Documentation site. > > I wanted to get your feedback regarding this project idea and see if > it would be of benefit to the OpenOffice.org Documentation project. > > I want to thank everyone for all of the work you are putting into the > Documentation project. I look forward to hearing from you regarding > whether this project idea is needed and of interest to the > Documentation project. This is an awesome idea. It looks like a very consistent training story that would complement the existing documentation very well. I would wish to host it on the documentation.oo.o website to allow centralized access to anyone. If we really could get a series of video podcasts or screencasts going, even outside of your training project we may use multiple distribution channels: doc.oo.o website, a channel on youtube, and maybe a channel for miro? I am not too familiar with podcast distribution, but a subscribable channel would be good. What would you need from the rest of us (provided we find some volunteers to help you out, twinkle twinkle)? Frank -- Frank Peters, Documentation Project Co-Lead The OOo Documentation Project: SIGN UP - PARTICIPATE - CONTRIBUTE IT'S FREE! 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