Using Mediawiki In The Classroom

From Sean_Carver
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  • I find it very easy to develop then deliver lectures with Mediawiki
  • Can copy and paste text and images from other Mediawiki websites (e.g. Wikipedia) provided the license allows (generally OK with Wikipedia text, often OK with images, but see license)
  • Mediawiki has well tested, powerful features, (It runs Wikipedia),

Including:

  • Tex formula, e.g. fundamental theorem of calculus (copied from here):
Let ƒ be a continuous real-valued function defined on a closed interval [a, b]. Let F be the function defined, for all x in [a, b], by
F(x) = \int_a^x f(t)\, dt\,.
Then, F is continuous on [a, b], differentiable on the open interval (ab), and
F'(x) = f(x)\,
for all x in (a, b).

  • Images
    The area shaded in red stripes can be estimated as h times ƒ(x). Alternatively, if the function A(x) were known, it could be computed as A(x + h) − A(x). These two values are approximately equal, particularly for small h. Copyright
  • Links to other websites (e.g. Fundamental Theorem of Calculus)
  • Links to other pages within Class notes (e.g. surveys).
  • Powerpoint slides (e.g. homework)
  • Code (to download or cut and paste into Matlab, Maple, or Mathematica, etc. See my lecture on Bayesian Filtering)

Additionally, Mediawiki is

  • Free and open source
  • Collaborative (e.g. Instructor and TAs can have, but students need not have, edit privileges)