Outlines the strategies and tools I use to make a course website with WordPress

1. Using WordPress for a
Course Website
Jeremy Boggs
Creative Lead, CHNM

2. C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Background
Web designer and developer
WordPress user since 2004
History PhD student, Graduate Lecturer (Similar
to an adjunct, but paid even less)

3. C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Hosted or Self-Install?
Can do many of the same things with
WordPress.com or Edublogs.

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

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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.

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Good course website...
Makes it easy to access course information
Encourages student participation
makes it easy for instructor to manage.

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Course Sitemap
Plan information architecture and organization of the
site.

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Course Sitemap
Displa
y 10 b
Link l
to Fac og posts
Link eb
to arc ook App
Searc hi
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Displa se
Home y Con site
tact In
forma
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Requirements Projects Schedule Students
Cours Wikip
ep ed
Requ olicies Cours ia entry Week
ly sch Discu
ss
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ire
Atten d books Blog C eblog from ed
datab ule pulled user p with class
ro about
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Movie mments Make ase Link files.
Revie sure a . to
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Courseware
WordPress plugin, result of thinking about course
management prior to teaching.
scholarpress.net

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Add Course Information

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Add Schedule Entries

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Add/Edit Bibliography Entries

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Add Assignments

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Add Assignments

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Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries

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Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries

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Add Assignments
Pre-populated with
schedule entries
Pre-populated with
bibliography entries

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Course Site

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Course Site

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Public Site

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Public Site

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

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hCal Example

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Subscribe to vCal file

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Subscribe to vCal file

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Subscribe to vCal file
Click it!

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Pull Schedule into Calendar App

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Pull Schedule into Calendar App

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Pull Schedule into Calendar App
Includes title,
date, and assignments
in notes

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

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Facebook App

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Facebook App

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Facebook App

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Weblog
Update or Die
Set an example for students
My best course blog: 200+ posts, 500+ comments

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Student Accounts
Create a sense of class community
Easily track student participation

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Student Groups on Blog

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Student Activity on Blog

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Protect the Students!

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Protect Student List!

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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).

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Extra fields for:
- Biography
- Image
- Website
- Twitter
- Flickr
- AIM

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

43. C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Simple Guidelines
- Plan site organization
- use plugins
- Utilize user accounts for students

44. C Jeremy Boggs, WordCamp Ed 08 Using WordPress for a Course Website
Thanks! Questions?
Lets Talk More:
- clioweb.org
- twitter.com/clioweb
- brightkite.com/clioweb
- slideshare.com/clioweb