Discuss

Is there support for independent learning?

2010-01-12T04:14:02-07:00

I am a marketing communications professional/former Web designer/Web content manager who has created and redesigned a number of sites for Fortune companies and small business alike. However, I’ve paid little to no attention to Web standards. Now I realize that to compete, I need to learn these standards and learn them well.

I was laid off from my last Fortune 100 position (along with thousands of others, when our jobs went to India). So, I have some time to devote to improving my skill set. Learning Web standards is my top priority. However, I don’t have money to pay for classes (or at least that is not where I should be spending money, now). While I look for work, I would like to strengthen my value to whomever might hire me. The Interact series of courses seems ideally suited to my help with this goal. I’d like to hear from forum members: do you believe this set of courses can be self guided or completed via independent learning? And, if so, where would you suggest seeking support with independent learning? Also, is there any certification for completing these courses independently?

Thanks!

Translation and internationalisation guidelines

2009-05-11T11:08:22-07:00

Below are some basics guidelines for translating InterAct. Volunteers are organised into groups by country and have members from both within and outside ILG. If you are interested in helping out contact ILG at: ilg-info at webstandards dot org.

We are open to suggestions and ideas and expect that each country group will find their own way to manage the process. Feel free to share ideas and ask questions below.

Translator teams

All translators are listed by country groups rather than language so we can ensure appropriate localization. It’s advised that at least one member of each group is familiar with the education system of that country so they can oversee localisation. Also feel free to ask among your network for further volunteers.

Team management and communication

It is up to each group how they communicate, organize and share the work however we recommend general discussions around translating InterAct should go in the Interact Forums.

Wiki

We plan to house translations on a wiki. This is currently being put together and once done will be publicised in this forum so don’t forget to check back for updates.

Priority order for translation

What order InterAct is translated is at the discretion of the group however we suggest that modules are done in a chronological order.

Before starting we suggest that a glossary is created of key terms, citation styles and nomenclature (see “Localisation” below).

Localisation

We will need to be careful about how we localize content so that it accurately accommodates the education system for each country. Things each team may need to look at and agree on:

* Glossary
* Competencies
* Citation styles (the USA use MLA, what should be used in your country)
* General nomenclature that might be strange in other languages

If no one on the team has a background in education it may be worth asking a local education expert to help localize translated content.

Opera web standards curriculum feedback please!

2009-03-07T13:23:00-07:00

My web standards article course - the Opera web standards curriculum - is referenced in many areas of the Interact curriculum, and is also available in it’s entirety at http://www.opera.com/wsc.

I’m aiming to provide a complete set of teaching articles to learn all the basics of front end development from, and I’ve already got a lot of feedback, but I’d love more - please check it out and let me know if you think it is missing anything, and what else you’d like to see covered.

I’m planning on including follow on courses on topics such as mobile web development, SVG, HTML 5 and CSS 3. These will start to appear later on in the year.

Getting started

2009-04-20T21:16:44-07:00

We’re really excited about translating and localising InterAct so that it can be used in a place of education near you.

We’re putting together teams of translators organised by country and setting up a wiki where the translations can live. We have some guidelines drafted to help you but expect that work will take on a life of its own amongst each group with this forum being a main place to share information, ideas, questions and answers. If translating is not your thing perhaps you have a background in education and can help us ensure that translations are in line with the education system of your country.

If you’d like to contribute we’d love to hear from you, get in touch through our contact page letting us know what language you’d like to focus on and any other thoughts or questions you may have.

Watch this topic and keep an eye on the forum as we’ll be posting updates soon.