Science Hypertextbook project
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I'm working on developing a science hypertextbook online, called (for a working title) Science!... in Simple Steps. Given the amount of time it was taking me to work on the project, I was inspired by Wikipedia to open it to the wide wild world of Wikidom. A friend has offered me a site and some code support, so it's now set up! At the moment it's just labeled April's Wiki, though that will change, and is using UseModWiki, though my code-guru friend is muttering noises about optimizations. From the introductory material:
- The SimpleScienceWiki Project is a collaborative effort to develop a science hypertextbook for students at the advanced secondary school or introductory college level. It is intended to allow anyone to educate themselves on science and scientific subjects, or to review subjects they may have forgotten; it may also prove useful for structured educational programs, particularly in the area of distance learning.
- Some goals of the project are:
- To discuss in some detail the nature of science and the scientific method, with particular emphasis on correct and incorrect applications thereof;
- To explain the basic principles of the sciences in simple and straightforward terms, in order to give the student the best possible grounding in these principles;
- To give an overview of the body of well-established theory and models in a number of scientific disiplines;
- To discuss current directions in scientific progress and their implications.
- The use of the term "simple" here should not be misunderstood. It is not, for instance, expected that every student will find this information easy to absorb; that will of course depend on the student's aptitude and prior education. It is certainly not meant to imply that these topics are oversimplified or "dumbed down". Rather, it's intended to convey the idea that the concepts are to be laid out in as clear a fashion as possible, without the needless confusion created by over-complex language, over-use of jargon, or the skipping of steps in explanations.
Many of the participants in Wikipedia are, obviously, well-educated in the sciences and associated technical fields. I would be delighted beyond measure if those with an interest in science and science education would be interested in contributing. The section on physics and geology are currently largely untouched, for instance...
The main page is at http://www.renaissoft.com/april/cgi-bin/wiki.pl -- April
Discussion about this project and its relationship to the w:Wikipedia is currently ongoing on the Talk page.