User:Ray Calvin Baker/Wikiversity Studies

Having proposed a "School of Creativity", I find myself studying the Wikiversity itself for guidance on how to implement the proposed "School of Creativity". Yes, there are tutorials and guided tours, but the question remains, "how do I actually set up a School?". I think this ought to be answered by lesson plans, assignments, practice, etc. In short, "Why don't I establish the (apparently needed) School of Wikiversity Studied'? So, I'll try. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 21:50, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

Here is a link to "The School of Creativity": [] And, of course, you can add a topic to my "Talk page" if you are interested in joining in the fun. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 22:39, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Lesson One
Try to find out how best to organize a school.

Suggested starting place: the Wikiversity search box. Enter "School". Look for actual, existing schools, then try to find a good or superior school.

OK, so far I have found a hierarchical chart for such terms as "school", "Division", "Department", Sub-division", and "Lesson". This tells me that organization is possible (but it's not likely to be easy).

Next, I have found that there are indeed existing schools. Examples: "School:Architecture", "School:Dentistry", "School:Engineering", etc.

Observation: There seems to be a template

Second observation: many of the existing schools have received a grade of "F", according to a "Wikiversium Yardstick".

Lesson Two
What is the "Wikiversium Yardstick" looking for?

Is this attainable?

Do any schools actually have a passing grade?

Hey -- I'm not teaching you anything! I'm just asking you the same questions I asked of myself only a few minutes ago. But please, try to find the answers to the questions. You may be able to teach yourself something!

Please Join the Discussion!

 * Please join us on the "Discuss" page! Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 23:22, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Here's a Hello! back, I used the yardstick to evaluate the Economics, Language and Literature, and maybe one other school. It's all about Lessons. If a school has three courses, apparently anywhere on any subject, each of which has at least three lessons, the school gets a good grade. There are some additional "requirements" after that but I'm not sure how applicable those are here at Wikiversity. Personally, there are around 130 schools, many of which are not in the Category:Schools so evaluating them all is a long process. Currently, all in the "Schools" category have an F except those three I've changed, and maybe one the colorful circle user missed. On the one hand, I'm good with deleting all the colorful circles. On the other, evaluating the courses against some control group would probably be a good idea. Feel free to transfer these comments to your new School:Wikiversity Studies. --Marshallsumter (talk) 18:10, 27 September 2012 (UTC)


 * I think that I may have discovered a real, legitimate need, that is, the School of Wikiversity Studies, which could be helpful for developing the Wikiversity. I am delighted to have found a possible supporter, so, in order to promote discussion, I am posting his response. I will be expressing more about my hopes and vision for the School as quickly as I can. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 23:22, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Let's Start with the Wikiversity Main Page
Please bear with me. I am trying to write this material so that inexperienced elementary school students can read, understand, and use it. There are many technical details to be mastered, so I think it is important to give detailed descriptions for many important facts. Experienced users may think the level of detail is excessive; I think it is essential. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 23:33, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

Some of the information items you see on your computer's screen are artifacts of your computer's operating system, or artifacts of your internet browser, rather than information items from the Wikiversity itself. What YOU see on YOUR screen is not necessarily exactly like what I see on my computer's screen. (We are probably using different brands of computers, different operating systems, and different Internet browsers.) However, it should be "close enough" that we can engage in a productive study of the Wikiversity.

One information item in particular, is from your Browser; nevertheless, the small "window" which shows the URL of the page you are currently viewing will be very useful in our Wikiversity study. Let me describe, as accurately as I can, this "window", as it appears on MY screen. At the very top of the screen, on the right-hand side, are three small boxes, which look like "_ [] X". These allow me to minimize, maximize, and close the window my browser is using. (I label many of these items, in parentheses, so that I can discuss each item later.) The next line down, which is the line toward which I am trying to direct your attention, contains (reading from left to right) (1) a white left-pointing arrow in a blue circle, (2) a smaller grayed-out right-pointing arrow, (3) a long rectangular box containing (3A) a very small Wikiversity logo, then (3B) the text,  "://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=School:Wikiversity_Studies&action=edit& section=4" (I deliberately left out the "h t t p" part of the address, and I deliberately distort it here.). Next, in this rectangular box, is the (3C) "Search" icon (it looks like small magnifying glass), the (3D) "Show Address Bar Autocomplete" icon (it looks like a down-pointing arrowhead, the (3E) "Compatability View" icon (it looks like two torn pieces of paper), the (3F) "Refresh" icon (it looks like a circular, curved, clockwise arrow), and the (3G) "Stop (Esc)" icon (it looks like "X"). Finally, near the center of the screen, at the top, is (4) a smaller rectangle containing (4A) a very small Wikiversity logo, (4B) the text, "Editing School:Wikiversity Studies", and (4C) the "Close Tab" icon (it looks like "X"). At the rightmost edge of this line are three small icons: (5A) "Home" (it looks like a small house), (5B) the "View Favorites" icon (it looks like a star), and (5C) the "Tools" icon (it looks like a small gear wheel).

There are a number of very tricky technical details I want to explain to you. Sometimes, I wish to make it possible for you to "link" to another page, for more information on an additional topic (This is called "USING the link"). But, other times, I merely wish to tell you what an address is (this is called "REFERENCE to the link"). The Wiki software is easily confused by the subtle distinction I have just described. Even more troublesome (to me) is the fact that I must usually use the Wiki's editor while writing material. Sometimes, this distorts the appearance of that part of the Wiki I am trying to describe. I don't want to bore you with technical details when I don't need to; I just want to let you know that things are not always as simple as each of us might prefer. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 00:30, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

To summarize, I want you to notice information item (3B), which is the internet address of the page you are currently viewing. You will be looking at many different pages as you study the Wikiversity. Each page has its own, unique address.

I promised that I would explain all of the other items of information. I will do that, next. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 23:33, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

Item (1): Clicking on this arrow should take you back to the page you just came from.

Item (2): If there were a "next page", clicking on this arrow would take you there. But, there is no "next page", so this arrow is "grayed out" -- it won't work.

Item (3A) a small Wikiversity logo, this is evidence that you really are studying the Wikiversity.

Item (3B): This is the address of the current page which you are viewing. Keep track of the addresses in this box as you study the Wikiversity. Unfortunately, (another one of those nasty technical details), this box is often TOO SHORT to contain the entire address (especially when you are searching deep in the Wikiversity).

Item (3C): You can (sometimes) change the address in the box, and search for some other topic. Be very careful; it is quite tricky to spell, capitalize, and punctuate URL addresses perfectly!

Item (3D): Clicking on this downward arrowhead brings up a sub-menu. It leads to some interesting possibilities, but I don't know how to use it properly myself, just yet.

Item (3E): I don't know if this "Compatability View" icon will do anything useful for you, or not. Hey! I'm just beginning "Wikiversity Studies" myself!

Item (3F): "Refresh" can be very useful if (when) a page "times out".

Item (3G): Caution! I don't know how well "Stop" works. You might get totally disconnected from the Internet.

Item (4): This seems to be information from the Wikiversity editor. Item (5A): "Home" -- probably your browser's home page.

Item (5B): "View Favorites" -- You have your favorites, and I have mine. I make no prediction what will happen here.

Item (5C): "Tools" -- explore these "on your own" -- at your own risk.

Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 00:30, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Just in case you have forgotten what's on the Wikiversity Main Page, here is a link to it. [] Yes, you can find a link to the Main Page in the sidebar to your left. Click there if you prefer.

You may think it strange, that I seem to be writing a description of the Wikiversity inside the Wikiversity itself. It IS strange. But, I have hopes that it will NOT lead to infinite regress. John von Neumann was able to demonstrate that finite, self-reproducing machines could contain a complete description of themselves, with no logical contradiction. I am hopeful that a finite information-processing system, such as Wikiversity, could contain a complete description of itself. This is my "Simple Simon" project. I will need LOTS of help! Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 02:25, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

However, at this time, another annoying technical difficulty is this: it is not possible, in the midst of an editing session, to research other material, without dangerous, extreme risk of losing entirely the current editing session. It is also not possible to actually test links while in the midst of an editing session. Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 01:57, 3 October 2012 (UTC) Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 00:50, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Organizational Notes
At this time, I am thinking that the "School of Wikiversity Studies" needs at least these Departments:

Department of Wikiversity Mapping

Department of Reverse Engineering

Department of "How To" Lessons

Ray Calvin Baker (talk) 02:15, 4 October 2012 (UTC)