Note -> Moved old call notes to pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-archive - they are still stored in the time slider as well

Webcraft Roadmap: http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-plan
Funding Pipeline: http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-pipeline


=== WEBCRAFT CONCEPT ===


Context / Background

• We know there is demand. More than 10,000 people signed up, but we haven't turned demand into participation. 
• Reasons/ barriers included:
  • High barrier to entry. 6 - 8-week commitment.
  • Confusion. Around what's concretely on offer. Is this a "course?" How do I do it?
    • Solution: new/better model + better communication/support
  • Motivation to "offer" a new course high, but low incentive to keep it running
  • Social - both as an opportunity to participate, and a feature to the challenges
• First version -> The "ask" and "offer" have been unclear - barrier to participation too high
• New focus -> One awesome experience that facilitates increased levels (and numbers) of participation, and demonstrates the potential of social learning and challenges (as something we can replicate).

--> We're attacking from two angles: Content and Form


Content: Web Making 101 - Build and Launch Your First Web Portfolio

The best way to learn is by doing, and as an aspiring web developer you're going to need a portfolio. In Web Making 101 participants are guided through a series of challenges, building important technical skills, learning the trades of being a web maker -- while leading up to the launch of their first web portfolio. (See more detail on this at the end)

• Who this course is for:
  • Quick point-form description of learner profile. So that I know whether I'm the type of person that should take this course.
    • Do we have a pre-defined learner profile? Is the aim 20 y.o. hipsters or 38y.o. job seekers?
  • What content (basic skills) is covered?

• How do you get help? (What are the different roles)
  • Learners, learning along or with others
  • Get help from those who are further along than you
  • Or work one-on-one with a volunteer mentor 

• Web developers can get involved
  • Volunteer as mentors
  • Hang out in the community learning spaces to answer questions on demand
  • Design more challenges (coming soon)

Form: Clear ask and offer, social baked in

• New and better landing page & stronger brand
• Strong narrative of the learning process, including benefits and expectations
• Clear "offer" (learn web development with your peers: tackle a challenge, get a mentor) and "ask" (volunteer as a mentor, help others in the learning lab, hang out in the IRC channel, adopt a challenge, future -> design a challenge))
• Mentors provide assistance and guidance
• Participants level up to create new challenges
• What are the social components? Just mentoring? Are there low-touch components? How do we push these to the forefront? [see below]

What's a challenge?

A good challenge...
1. teaches a relevant skill.
2. has a clear completion point.
3. is interesting / creative / fun to do.
4. results in some kind of output.

The output of a good challenge...
1. is different for each person who completes the challenge.
2. is worth showing to others.
3. is not embarrassing.
4. is interesting when collected with the output of others who completed the challenge.

We're authoring a set of challenges to guide participants through creating 5 to 10 portfolio pieces and then launching the portfolio. Wherever possible, we're linking out to third party resources for documentation and theory, but tying everything together into one coherent package. The challenge based nature will lower the barrier to entry -- participants can do just one challenge or all of them at their own pace.