On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 11:02:23 -0500 Gregory Pittman <gregp_ky at yahoo.com> dijo:
>On 12/05/2010 12:43 AM, John Jason Jordan wrote: >> Should purchase of the manual be required? Strongly urged? >Considering the scattered feedback that we get about the manual being >a bit mercenary, we might just stick with a recommendation. At the >same time, there could be an attempt to consider the topics and >material discussed in the manual, so that the manual could serve as a >useful reference, thus underscoring its value as a recommended >resource. This sounds like a good idea. If the modules continually reference the manual eventually the student will get the message. In my own case I did not buy the manual because 1) I already had a lot of DTP experience in other apps and, 2) it was aimed at 1.3.3.x where I was using the development version and, 3) I thought it was a lot of money. But I finally liberated the funds from my bank account when I had to give a presentation. And then I read the manual and discovered that it was excellent and had a lot of good points about DTP in general, not just Scribus. >> It would need a website. Could it be on the Scribus website? >> Elsewhere? >> >> We need an outline or list of modules or topics. I have no idea >> where to start. >> >It's easy enough to begin by using the wiki, both as a place to start, >and in particular as a place to shape the content of the course by >creating a working outline. Christoph was strongly of the mind, and in >retrospect I fully agree, that we should not have simply jumped into >creating a manual without a reasonably fleshed-out outline of its >contents, and I think that the same applies to this course idea. Yet the manual came out just fine. I didn't find it disorganized at all, although I do make heavy use of the index when I am looking for something. Later today I'll go to the wiki and start a page where we can make a list of modules that need to be created. I'll add a couple of my own and others can contribute their ideas. It can be a single page for now, just a place to get things started. >> My original thought was that there would be assignments and >> volunteers would check them over as completed. But after considering >> the module idea I think that is unnecessary and cumbersome. If the >> student completes a module without a problem, there is no need for >> instructor intervention. > >I can imagine that those going through this may wish to pursue their >own ideas such as, for example, learn how to create, edit, and advance >the sophistication of some newsletter that is the basis for them >getting interested in Scribus in the first place. What we might >provide is some guidance toward using various features, nudging toward >using Master Pages, layers, paragraph styles, and creating a sensible >workflow in general. We might also come up with some generic kinds of >layout projects if students can't come up with ideas on their own. Initially I thought of creating a finished project as a PDF, then the student's task would be to recreate it in Scribus. Perhaps some modules could start this way, where the creating the PDF requires learning a particular feature or set of features. Of course, the module would also have hints and suggestions. In my presentation I started with some basics of DTP, followed by an overview of Scribus (i.e., page-based, frames, etc.), and then I launched Scribus with the intent of recreating a flier that I had produced for the local LUG. I brought enough copies of the flier so that audience members would have a paper copy in front of them. This turned out to be the part of the presentation that the audience responded to best. Unfortunately, I only had an hour and a half and by the time I got to recreating the flier I had time for only a brief introduction to recreating it. Nevertheless, it turned out to be an excellent pedagogic method. Teach by hands-on doing, rather than just by telling. After all, we already have help files and an excellent manual that tell. >Beyond that, they could get feedback on design, especially creating >pleasing design according to the intended purpose of their documents. How much can we teach art and design?
