User talk:Gh0st

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

[edit] Seeking Enrollment in Political Science Course

Hi, my name is Justin Herald. I am interested in enrolling in the Wikiversity School of Political Science. My email is justin.herald[at]gmail.com

Symphoniq 03:32, 17 March 2006 (UTC)Symphoniq

[edit] Wikiversity

Ok, I'm willing to forget all the comments you've been deleting, if you just listen to one point. Wikiversity has already been through one round of getting approval from the board of the Wikimedia Foundation, having already been proposed for deletion from Wikibooks - yes, deletion. See the top of m:Wikiversity/Modified project proposal for details. In this, the board recommended that Wikiversity "exclude online courses" - that's right, no online courses. They also said "no credentials".

Since then, however, there has been confusion about this, and I for one have been arguing that, while we might not want to go down the full e-learning route at the moment, we can still go about setting up learning activities around materials that we host on Wikiversity, instead of simply being a repository of materials. What I propose is that we set up "study groups" (or "learning communities") around individual topics, where people can raise questions, discuss, and maybe use this for further research on the topic. This is my idea and the growing consensus of how learning takes place.

So, don't get me wrong - I think that the fact that you're getting the political science course off the ground is great. But I'm also recommending that you think about how to manage this course. Have you, for example, asked any of the potential participants what they want out of the course? Have you asked them what their experience is? Were you going to do that? How were you going to manage the question on Talk:Pos 1000 about not being able to make it to online lectures? And on a pragmatic note, where are the materials for the course? These aren't accusations - they're just questions.

I'm also asking you, please, please, to listen to this. I'm trying to work with you here, but the more you ignore me, the less likely this is. Considering that I'm spearheading getting Wikiversity actually set up through the m:Special projects committee, this is not good for you. If you've any questions, if you're not clear about anything, please just ask. Please don't delete, it's not good. Cormaggio 11:27, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

Hi Gh0st, I'd just like to say that some of what I've said so far has been too strong and over the top. I want to apologise to you for coming in too aggressively on the Wikiversity course you're working on. I actually meant my comments to open a discourse, rather than set up a conflict, but in reality, I only succeeded in the latter.

On a more positive note, I see that there is a steady interest in the course, and I wish you all the best with it. How is it going by the way? Have you done any group work or had any online lectures? Cormaggio 05:38, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Jesus, Cormaggio!

I realize that you are under thirty, a rising star with an education in education, and now selected by the Wikimedia Foundation power structure as their special representative less disliked than any other incorrigables at Wikiversity. Personally, I did not care for the syllabus or outlined approaches of Gh0st's Poly Sci classes or apparent leadership style but would it be so difficult to simply advise him/her to title his activity a series of seminars and leave them alone to prototype some online learning? If the newcomer user:Wikizach takes me up on prototyping some poly sci classes then the student body will have some options in at least one learning area at Wikiversity.

Meanwhile I have found nothing promised at meta regarding submitting the proposal and getting our permanent URLs active. Get your paperwork done and leave the harassing of other participants to us other mere participants. How are you going to play mediator or leader when you are defining yourself as one side of the newly arising disputes that the Wikimedia Foundation has suckered you into taking on? Do yourself a favor. Go find out if Roberth or Maveric149 (former leaders in charge of proposal of Wikiversity now going on three years slow rolling by Board) and find out if they have hard feelings towards you being picked to take credit for leading their project into the promised land. In fact, go consult JWSurf and MFinney regarding office politics in private. Notice both of them are experienced managers and instructors. Try not to threaten them with spurious charges of incivility or your new found status as the selected minion of the stacked Board's selected committee.

Get our URLs active and turn on the web traffic. If five or fifty fullblooded P'hd Engineers, PE show up to give real courses with official syllabus, exercises, lectures, etc. etc. or retired NASA people grumpy at never getting to design an actual useful spacecraft or technology you do not want to be marginalized as the idiot trying to enforce uninformed Board mandates all by your lonesome. In case you missed it Wikiversity is an experiment. Nobody really knows what is going to work. We need to try some things and find out. The Board has painted themselves into some corners with their premature announcements and promises regarding "freeing the curriculum" and some other idiocies aimed at separating the fiscal entity from the "community" in pursuit of cash donations they control. When the dust settles do you want to be the villian scapegoated and outcast by the "community" of instructors, students, and participants who inevitably choose to do as they please rather than as the Board mandates for the Board's convenience or financial interests? Keep in mind Wikiversity is slowly getting started in spite of mismanagement of the Board. If the permanent URLs are not forthcoming soon how long do you suppose it will be ... nevermind. That argument was old a year ago and the lack of available public student wikis still mystifies me.

Please consider writing a paragraph submission memo for the modified proposal and request some of the regulars show up and express support and state personal exceptions. I personally will rewrite and repropose the alternative Wikiversity is Not section:

Wikiversity is not a place to tell others what they cannot do or try. Productive forking is encouraged, may the best learning community grow faster than its alternatives. cc:

• Cormaggio's discussion page.
• Gh0st's disscussion page

Lazyquasar 07:06, 2 April 2006 (UTC)