2009 mini-conference plans

2009 WeBWorK mini-conference

• Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
• Portland State University
  • Room 465 (computer lab), Neuberger Hall
  • 724 SW Harrison, Portland, OR
  • Directions

The Portland State University math department has generously offered to host a mini-conference for WeBWorK developers and "power users". We will hold this on Wednesday, Aug 5th at the Portland State math department which is a short walk away from the hotels where the Portland, OR Mathfest will take place from Aug 6th to Aug 8th.

Here is the current schedule. It is flexible and it may yet change -- feel free to sent comments to gage@math.rochester or add them yourself.

• 10am-10:45 August 5th: Discussion leaders: Jason Aubrey and Mike Gage
  • Can we support a Google "summer of code" proposal?
    • If so: Discuss plans and form a steering committee to submit proposal for Google summer of code for the summer of 2010
  • Social networking -- mini-conferences, forum, facebook!?
  • Video conferences: report, request for topics and for comments
  • Documentation Screencasts: comments, request for topics, request for volunteers
  • Other documentation topics....

• 11:15 am-11:45 Bill Wheeler, Indiana University
  • -- WeBWorK and Course Management System bridges
  • Report on use of WeBWorK at IU, and integration with IU's Sakai CMS
  • 11:50 - 12:05 Discussion leader: Mike Gage
    • Brief update on status of WeBWorK-Moodle assignment level and

question level bridges and the WeBWorK Blackboard bridge.

12:15pm Lunch -- somewhere nearby PSU

• 2pm-2:35 Ted Mahavier (Lamar U) and Valerio de Angelis (Xavia U. in New Orleans)
  • --- MathNerds --- alternatives/supplements to the "email the instructor" button
  • Discussion:
    • Explore other help ideas
    • List software features desired to implement this (summer of code material?)
• 2:45pm -3:15pm Leaders: Doug Magamo () and Robin Cruz (College of Idaho)
  • --- PreCalculus problems and website

• 3:30pm -4:00pm Assessment: Controlled experiments using WeBWorK
  • Leaders Steve Rosenfield, Helena Dedic and Ivan Ivanov, Vanier College, Montreal
• 4:15pm - 4:45pm Assessment news and discussion
  • Leader: Vicki Roth

• 5pm-5:15pm Applet interface (Flash, Java, Geogebra) update
  • Leader: Mike Gage

6:00 Dinner (location to be determined)

• Reports on flash applet, java applet and geogebra integration.

• "Email instructor button": alternative or additional help methods -- wiki page? moodle forum? connect to MathNerds website? or other? What hooks need to be put into WeBWorK to make these interconnections easy to set up?

Thanks to Marek , Dan Streeter of Portland State University, Aaron Wooton of University of Portland, Jason Aubrey of University of Missouri, Mike Gage of U. of Rochester for organizing this event and to all of the participants for making possible.