I think that separting the installation instructions is good idea. That might make them easier for people trying to use the published material but who are not attending a specific workshop.
In the spirit of writing functions and calling them from larger scripts, wouldn't we want to write a function for each installation: bash, git, python, et al., and then refer to the ones pertinent to the workshop from the workshop site? Then the same installation instructions could be used for an Intro Python and an Intermediate Python. On Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 7:15 PM, Moreau, John (UMKC-Student) <[email protected]> wrote: > Matt et al: > > Perhaps this is the crux of the problem. We no longer have installation > instructions outside of the workshop pages. More experienced instructors may > know to check the workshop template on GitHub. However, for newer > instructors, potential workshop hosts, and drive-by site visitors, there’s > no clear directions. > > Thinking about the problem from the perspective of a novice learner, their > first instinct will be to check the website. After coming up short, some > people will become frustrated and abandon the search. Here’s where an expert > might say “Why didn’t you just* google for {program needed}?” Because the > novice learner lacks the mental models of an expert, they may not know what > search terms to use. The Shell lessons suffer from this problem more than > most: > > · Nowhere on the lesson landing page > (http://swcarpentry.github.io/shell-novice/) do we mention the term “Bash” > > · The “Introducing the Shell” page > (http://swcarpentry.github.io/shell-novice/00-intro.html) does not use the > term “Bash” until the seventh paragraph > > · The intro page does not directly tell a novice learner that the > standard Git for Windows installation includes Bash. > > · The intro page does mention that the Bash shell is the default > shell on many modern UNIX implementations. A novice learner may not know > that Mac OS now uses a UNIX engine and uses Bash for its command line > terminal. They also may not know how to access the terminal. > > · If a Linux user doesn’t know about the Unix command line, I really > want to ask them how they got Linux on their machine in the first place. > > > > For these reasons, I suggest that we should add installation instructions to > either the lesson pages or as a separate “lesson”. Before Greg (or anyone > else) says it, yes, I know “Pull requests are always welcome”. Let me ask > the community - Would you rather have: > > A separate install “lesson” and links from the other lessons to that install > page > > -OR- > Installation information within each separate lesson? > > > > John Moreau > > * http://swcarpentry.github.io/instructor-training/05-expertise.html > > > > From: Discuss [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Matt Davis > Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 5:05 PM > To: Markus Mueller <[email protected]>; > [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Discuss] installation instructions > > > > Hi Markus, > > > > Our workshop webpages have software installation instructions. We used to > have those on software-carpentry.org, but I couldn't find them so here's the > website of an upcoming workshop: > https://joshwaterfall.github.io/2016-02-16-NIH/ > > > > Best, > > Matt > > > > On Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 2:53 PM Markus Mueller > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear listers, > > > > I am a new instructor (or soon to be one) and started having a closer look > at the software carpentry lesson material. I first had a look at the > instructor guide > (http://swcarpentry.github.io/shell-novice/instructors.html) and only found > some general tips and hints about which tools to use and how to install them > (my interested would here apparently be how to get a unix shell to run on > windows). > > > > I apologize if I missed something, but otherwise would be glad if somebody > could point me to the installation guidelines (that the page above somehow > hints at). > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > Markus > > > > ________________________________ > > > Please consider the environment before printing this email > Warning: This electronic message together with any attachments is > confidential. If you receive it in error: (i) you must not read, use, > disclose, copy or retain it; (ii) please contact the sender immediately by > reply email and then delete the emails. > The views expressed in this email may not be those of Landcare Research New > Zealand Limited. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org
