Using WordPress for a Course Website

Using WordPress for a Course WebsiteJeremy BoggsCreative Lead, CHNM

BackgroundWeb designer and developerWordPress user since 2004History PhD student, Graduate Lecturer (Similar to an adjunct, but paid even less)

Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course WebsiteC

Hosted or Self-Install?Can do many of the same things with WordPress.com or Edublogs.


Installing WordPressI’ll assume you know how to do this or can find out on your own.


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.


Good course website...Makes it easy to access course informationEncourages student participationmakes it easy for instructor to manage.


Course SitemapPlan information architecture and organization of the site.



Course Sitemap

Home

Requirements Projects Schedule Students

Display 10 blog postsLink to Facebook App

Link to archivesSearch course siteDisplay Contact Information

Course policiesRequired booksAttendance

Wikipedia entryCourse weblogBlog CommentsMovie Review

Weekly schedule pulled from database.Make sure all links to

readings work!Make sure the vCal link works!

Discuss with class about user profiles.Link to individual

student blogs

CoursewareWordPress plugin, result of thinking about course management prior to teaching.

scholarpress.net



Add Course Information


Add Schedule Entries


Add/Edit Bibliography Entries


Add Assignments


Add Assignments

Pre-populated with schedule entries


Add Assignments

Pre-populated with schedule entries

Pre-populated with bibliography entries


Course Site


Public Site

Courseware and Microformats“...a set of simple, open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted standards.”

microformats.org



hCal Example


Subscribe to vCal file


Subscribe to vCal file

Click it!


Pull Schedule into Calendar App


Pull Schedule into Calendar App

Includes title, date, and assignments

in notes

WP BookTake course website, put it into a Facebook App...seriously.



Facebook App

WeblogUpdate or DieSet an example for studentsMy best course blog: 200+ posts, 500+ comments


Student AccountsCreate a sense of class communityEasily track student participation



Student Groups on Blog


Student Activity on Blog


Protect the Students!


Protect Student List!

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).



Extra fields for:

- Biography- Image- Website- Twitter- Flickr- AIM

Plugin: User Roles- Allows you to define and manage new roles and capabilities.- "Class Tech Support" level for two students, who provided tech help to classmates for a small class reward. Give them extra permissions.


Simple Guidelines- Plan site organization - use plugins- Utilize user accounts for students


Thanks! Questions? Lets Talk More:- clioweb.org- twitter.com/clioweb- brightkite.com/clioweb- slideshare.com/clioweb


Using WordPress for a Course Website

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