The goal of this first step of this basic skills project site is to create a 'proof of concept,' or a canvas for other people to work on. The purpose of a proof of concept - which in this case will be represented by a model thread of navigation, complete with sample content - is to represent visually and conceptually the work plan that was originally submitted for this grant. The model is not meant, in any way, to be indicative of the 'final' quality of the subject manner, nor is any decision made regarding the site at this stage - whether it be of hierarchy, layout or content - intended to be final in any way. It is simply meant to be the context of a further conversation.
The intent of this beta or model site is to represent visually and conceptually the work plan that was originally submitted for this grant. The model is not meant to be indicative of the 'final' state of the subject manner, nor is any decision made regarding the site at this stage - whether it be of hierarchy, layout or content - intended to be final in any way. It is simply meant to be the context of a further conversation, and a representation of possibility.
A sense of audience is critical to an understanding of how the site is designed, from both a technical and a pedagogical point of view. The site is primarily directed at educators who work with students at the post-secondary level or who prepare students for post-secondary work, particularly in those areas of academic writing, rhetoric, critical thinking, and the related practices covered here under the umbrella concept of 'basic academic skills'. It is also intended for use by students or future students of these same disciplines.
The site uses three distinct platforms for conveying information: the term description, the learning module and the learning object.
The term description is simply a definition, and each “tag” or identifier within the organizational/navigational tag cloud found on the right sidebar of the site has its own definition provided, as a starting place for futher explication. The primary lesson thread represented by the model site begins with the tag “essay,” and moves through “thesis statement,” “paragraph,” “main idea,” "support" and “citation. This is a semi-linear thread which still allows for the relationships between parts of the site to interconnect in a rhizomatic way. Learning modules and learning objects for these concepts, plus a few other related concepts, flesh out the model thread.
The learning module is meant to be a detailed description, learning plan or contextual module for a given concept. It may be of use to audience members simply browsing the site in an exploratory manner, or those in the planning stages of course design. Users interested in broad questions like "How do I implement a better writing module into my course for next year?" or "How do I improve the paragraph writing of my students?" will find the learning modules helpful, as will students looking for a global understanding of basic skills concepts. The learning modules for the site are navigable through the site map available in the sidebar menu, as well through 'related' links which accompany each module and offer complementary activities or related concepts. In the 'citation' module, for instance, you will see links to the modules explainings MLA, APA and Chicago styles in more depth, and also to examples and external links.
The learning objects offer supporting content to the more conceptual learning modules, but are also stand-alone resources. They are intended for an audience looking for additions to ongoing or existing curriculum, or for specific examples of particular writing concepts. Questions like "How can I write better topic sentences?" or "I need to reinforce citation in my classroom" will lead to learning objects that showcase concrete best practice models in various learning modalities. Learning objects can be located using the search functionality of the site, or by choosing from the list of 'tags' evident in the sidebar.
What we hope will set this site apart, in addition to its combination of hierarchichal and tag based navigation, is the fact that users may both subscribe to an RSS feed for any given subject, and collaborate and contribute to the ongoing development of the repository. A user concerned with the 'research essay' or 'citation' can contribute to a discussion on the topic in the discussion forums, or get immediate notice of relevant and focused content being published to the site by simply clicking on a tag from the sidebar and subscribing to the resulting feed.
This is, in the end, meant to be a collaborative venture. It is intended for a variety of users, and structured so that the professional community can contribute learning objects and modules on topics of interest in addition to drawing on the resources already here. This will inevitably result in differences of opinion, but it is the hope of the designers of this project that those differences will find room side by side inside the resources and discussions available on the site. One of the great challenges for any practitioner is offering students access to the differences of opinion within academia, and finding those reflected in the literature and resource materials available to students. This site has the capacity to reflect varying viewpoints on academic conventions, and to offer users the opportunity to navigate resources from multiple schools of thought.
Welcome to the site.
