Alpha Challenges

Challenges 1-4 - The Introductory Challenges

Introduction
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-1

Writing HTML by hand
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-2

TextEditor
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-3

HTML is all around you
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-4

Challenges 5-8 - Setting Up The Basics

Domain Name
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-5 

Your Webspace
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-6

Favourite Things
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-7

Expanding Your Toolkit
http://pad.p2pu.org/webcraft-alpha-challenges-8


Challenges 9-12 

To be completed before Friday


Feedback to challenges overall

(copied from broken feedback etherpad)

Objectives

Challenges: http://webmaking101.p2pu.org/challenges

22nd August

As a result of the meeting with Erin about badges and integration points, I've removed the old objectives and will be adding new ones that align with the integration points for badges. 
 
The below points have been addressed. Please add new comments and feedback above the  line below ( if that makes sense)
 
PS: 

• Is there a way to participate if I can't afford to pay (or I can't pay online, because I don't have a credit card) for web hosting? Are there free options?  << JC: Great point, there are some free hosting options available, but I wondered on how far we can go to recommending services before it starts becoming a commercial proposition
  • JC: Can we have a webmaking101.org domain name that people can have subdomains on for free?
  • JC: Could we get a little VPS set up with lightweight stack ( Nginx perhaps ) and offer people free space and locked down SFTP access?
  • PS: Too much potential hassle. Need a solution that doesn't require hosting by us for now. 
• Good overview of how everything fits together, but need one or two challenges fully fleshed out to give detailed feedback on how this will work. 
• Please link background resources (esp. from Mozilla Developer Network MDN) << Definately, but for the lower level challenges I'm having hard time finding suitable content on MDN ( choosing domain names etc etc

 
 
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19th August
 
Left by pippa : 
 
HOSTING / HTTP(S), DNS & WEB SERVERS / PUBLISHING
There's no specific mention of FTP, and how it will be used within producing and maintaining a website.
 
This is now addressed in the Fundamentals discipline : http://webmaking101.jamiecurle.com/domains/21
 
Good catch, I'll add this in, but state a prerference for SFTP/SCP or FTP because of the unencrypted sending of passwords - thinking about it, it may be worth splitting publishing up into it's own group because it is quite indepth.  - probably a challenge in there somewhere.
 
Chmod / File permissions etc < Could be interesting to join this up with a challenge to on the subject of rudimentary command line skills - for certain this will help people wrap their heads around paths.http://webmaking101.jamiecurle.com/challenges/15
  
Browsers / Troubleshooting / Web standards
No specific mention of cross-browser testing and troubleshooting/ or the pragmatics of what level of support is provided to which browsers < I've probably been a little to tacit with (BD2), but you're right specifically it does need to be mentionedI've added this challenge as a concept http://webmaking101.jamiecurle.com/challenges/14
 
 
PRIVACY and SECURITY  

Understandably these topics are fairly large reaching and difficult to include within WM101. I think it's important to have some coverage of them. < 100% agreee
 
Privacy - specifically relevant regarding CVs and online portfolios - how much personal information should you reveal? 
Some learners will be under 18 - there's no way we can prevent that. But we should be teaching them appropriate behaviours.< We should be seen to have stance on the subject and it's pretty sensible thing to do.  I've added this challenge as a concept http://webmaking101.jamiecurle.com/challenges/12
 
 
Security - Basic coverage of this should be presented. This may be as simple as information about choosing good passwords 
This is also relevant for Web Hosting - file permissions etc.  < again 100% agree, on shared platforms this is very important to stop 'snooping', but there are broader implications as well. I think it'd be worth having another group of objectives to house these facets of the craft. I've added this as a concept challengehttp://webmaking101.jamiecurle.com/challenges/16
 
Chloe Notes on What makes a good Challenge 08/29/2011
 What makes a good challenge?
 

• Simple setup, complex problem: The challenge uses a simple setup that requires learners to find the solution to a complex problem.For example, in the "Bring it all together"  challenge learners have to create a portfolio site (simple setup) but the problem they have to solve has many layers (complex) ; they have to sketch,  design and develop wireframes to build their portfolio site.
• Taking on a role: learners take on an identity or a multiple set of identities such as  programmer, collaborator, activist, ice cream lover. In so doing they become committed to the space and the community in which the  complex learning challenge is situated.?
• Having a "need to know": The challenge is meaningful for the learner audience. There is a need for them to master the skills required to complete the challenge. For example there is a personal motivation for the learners, such as creating your own portfolio site, or a community related one, such as leveling up and becoming a Guru/Mentor or winning a competition among the community, and even a fun factor such as a compelling story that draws you into having a reason to solve the challenge.  A need to know could be designed as a combination of some/all of the above. In doing so the learners find the challenge meanigful and personally fulfilling.
• Belonging to a larger context : challenges level up and are grouped together in what could be called a Quest/Mission/etc. The architecture of the Quest/Mission allows for one to take linear or non-linear learning paths. For example in the Webmaking101 -let's name it- Quest, a user can take some challenges through a linear path (as they appear, first, second,third etc) and other challenges through non-linear paths (like a choose your own adventure)
• Clear goals:  the challenge/or group of challenges has a clear overall goal, such as building a portfolio. A challenge goal can consist of smaller goals or combinations, such as building a portfolio site, winning badges,  getting community credit etc
• Receiving feedback along the way: Learners receive feedback on their actions as they progress through the challenge or a group of challenges. (this could be were badges,points, progress map etc come in)? For example,(from the top of my head) in the Better,Faster,Stronger  challenge, the learner get's feedback on the time taken for his/her  portfolio content to load. A key idea here is that of a feedback loop; that allows usesr based on the challenge assessment to redo their previous action or take a new action based on the assessment. 
• Smartools: Moving through levels of the challenge unlocks smartools.  A smartool is something a learner can use again and again in other challenges. For example, Firebug (if Firebug was to be unlocked as a tool after completing challenge x) is a type of smartool.
• There is risk-taking and exploration: Learners are encouraged to take risks, explore, and try new things (trial and error).For example, in the MishMash challenge you have to?create grids to lay out your work and there might be several sizes of grids that you can create, so during the process you might tinker with many grid sizes (trial), make a couple of ugly layouts(error) untill you find the one that works best. *Note:something to think about is how we create a SAFE space for trial and error to happen and even been celebrated. 
• 'Flow': Learners feel that there is flow in the experience, meaning that the challenge tasks are ”doable,” but increasingly challenging. ?{chart here http://bit.ly/qXjL7X}
• Balanced scaffolding(related to flow): scaffolding can help one overcome difficulties in a challenge that, if too difficult, could prevent them from moving forward.  However, it's important not to build in so much scaffolding that users can get through the challenge without actually  learning anything {ref. Hussain,Taib}
• A sense of agency: Learners feel a real sense of agency and control over what they are learning and doing in the challenge.?For example, there could be an ability to edit some challenges and remix them or a requirement to create your own challenge after completing this first course/quest/mission.
• There are many solutions to the same problem:  different users can solve the same problem in different ways.? Being  able to compare the different solutions is equally important. (this  concept ties to "Replayability", see below)
• Fun & Replayability: the challenges are *so* enjoyable that users will "re-play" certain ones that lead to different outcomes or allow them to pledge higher expertise (maybe a guru version of a badge). Adding a layer of community competition to this fact, such as a 'code-off' in the I<3 command line challenge for example, increases the replayability of the challenge. (can explain more here)