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Originally Posted by Kelfazin
So in effect the students would be writing the book? This is ok, except that means each student would only learn the subtopic they had chosen...
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No, because no one would see the chapter material until the chapter was compiled and edited by the instructor; the students would not offer their work to the rest of the class.
Somehow the instructor will need to receive help as a good class text with images and illustrations is typically 300 to 400 pages long. It would be unfair to burden any instructor, or group of instructors for that matter, with such a daunting task. Wiki books for astronomy is only about 20 or 30 pages long, though I only glanced at it, far short of a class textbook.
The Wiki route will not be easy but I still vote for it, also. Here is one outline scenario to help...
1) The instructor could issue a list of subtopics in a thread dedicated to this task.
2) Students could volunteer their name for the subtopic they would like to assist the instructor in preparing for the final presentation.
3)The instructor would assign the subtopics out to the students of choice. Maybe even several students could help prepare a subtopic. [This is strictly volunteer effort.]
4) The students would submit their material only to the instructor and by a given date.
5) The instructor, along with competent others, would edit the material as necessary.
6) All the subtopic material would be compiled into a coherent chapter.
7) Only now would this entire new chapter be presented to the class for study.
7b) There could be multiday transitionary period to allow final input from others, including students.
8) Test time. [Just how this is done needs some thought, too.]
9) go back to step one for next chapter.
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Maybe a different way would be to tackle each chapter of the Wiki one at a time as a class. The instructor chooses the subject, provides the lecture/Q&A, and then as a class we write up/edit the Wiki entry? While that is happening a different instructor could be prepping the lecture for the next chapter.
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Yes, that is an alternative as well.
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I like the idea of using the Wikibook for course material as well. It's the most logical approach, and makes a contribution to science education on the internet at the same time.
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Agreed.