Conference koolit::vms_curriculum

This note will discuss the format and function of this conference.

We will be using this conference to review/discuss multiple courses.
This note will introduce/define the methods we will use to accomplish
that.

This is a *working topic*. As problems/suggestions with the format
of the conference are discussed, the format of the conference may
change to address those issues.

Mel

Course announcements will be handled in the following way:

	First Note:
	----------

	The first note will be the administrative note for
	each course. Discussion about any administrative
	issues should be posted and replied to in this note.

	In addition, this note will be used to annouce the
	location of preliminary materials, instructor guides,
	and project tracking/milestone date information.

	This note will also include a working reference to
	the notes following this note that pretain to the
	course:

			location of plan for review
			current courses that will be
				effected/supplanted by new course
			directory of following course notes
				Note for general course discusion
				Note for each chapter of new course

	Second Note:
	___________

	This note is a general discussion note pretaining to 
	course content, style, format, presentation, audience...etc

	Third through Nth note:
        ______________________

	A single note will be posted showing the location of a review
	copy of each chapter. Discussion, review, additions, deletions 
	will be discussed as replies to this note

			


See Notes 3-9 of this conference as an example of this structure.

    
    The moderators for this conference are:
    
    	SUPER::REGNELL
    	SUPER::ROUNDS
    	SUPER::BUNNELL
    
    We will update this reply as moderators change.
    

I had to cut out the date field so you could see the title!  With the title
wrapping off the edge of a standard 80-column screen and these "meaningful
titles"  it is basically useless to be able to look for anything with a
descriptive topic title.  PLEASE retitle these things so we can use
DIR/TITLE="..." and see something meaningful on a 80-column screen!! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 VMS Curriculum
Created:  1-NOV-1990 11:29          24 topics         Updated: 14-DEC-1990 11:26
 Topic  Author               Repl  Title
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4   HARDY::REGNELL      0  PROCESS
     5   SUPER::REGNELL      4  VMS USER CURRICULUM - GENERAL DISCUSSION
     6   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS
     7   HARDY::REGNELL      1  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS-GENERAL DISCUSSION
     8   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
     9   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    10   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    11   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    12   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    13   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    14   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    15   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHPATER REVIEW
    17   HARDY::ROUNDS       2  VMS FOR APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REVIEW
    18   HARDY::REGNELL      0  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS
    19   HARDY::REGNELL      0  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - GEN DISC
    20   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REV
    21   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REV
    22   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REV
    23   HARDY::REGNELL      5  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REV
    24   HARDY::REGNELL      2  VMS FOR ADVANCED APPLICATION USERS - CHAPTER REV

    
    RE: .4
    
    Well, you may have a point. [grin]
    
    We did it on purpose...[hold the falme thrower...let me explain]
    
    Since in modularity, the number of a chapter is irrelevant...must
    be irrelevant...we decided that we couldn't say CHAPTER 1 REVIEW.
    CHAP 1 may be CHAP 3 next week.
    
    And...we have to put the title of the course, because multiple
    courses are being reviewed  in the same notes file. [This will get
    even worse as courses ourside the USER string are added to this
    file]
    
    And...we can't depend on the chapter title...as that is as
    transitory as the number...or worse.
    
    In short...the great advantage of modularity....that you can use every
    little piece wherever you want...write a new title and intro...add
    different objectives...all that NEAT stuff...creates a bit of a
    logistics problem for NOTES TITLES.
    
    Now...what we thought would happen is that:
    
    	1) Instructors would use the utility that reads NOTES at
    	   night and extracts all unseen into a file which they then
    	   read hardcopy
    
    	or
    
    	2) Instructors would be familiar with a particular course
    	   series of notes and would [after the first or second
    	   go-round] know which notes they wanted to look at.
    
    If that isn't the case....and the long titles are discouraging readers
    from reviewing materials...then, indeed, we need to change them.
    
    I need input from the other reviewers and readers of this file.
    
    What do the rest of you think?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Mel
    

    
    Additionally...[I'm on a roll]
    
    We are probably going to restructure this notes file fairly soon. We
    have discovered some other little design problems that we need to
    address as we add other course strings...soooo...please get your
    comments in asap so we can integrate them in our V2 design.
    
    'ta
    
    Melinda

I agree, the titles are a pain when trying to find what you need to look 
at.

Also, not all  of us use automated notes utilities, or want to.... as for 
printing them off and reading them in hardcopy form !! ... why bother with 
electronic conferencing if thats your intention ?

Version 2 of your Notes conference design HAS to be better.

regards,
simon

    
    Hmmm...
    
    I agree that V2 has to be better [grin] I guess it couldn't be worse.
    
    And we will take all your comments and see if we can put together a
    better 'mousetrap'. We appreciate you all taking the time to respond.
    
    Just a note on our 'intention'...
    
    Our intention is to get _all_ the notes that instructors have to read
    about course development into _one_ NOTES file..so you don't have to
    have a notebook full of NOTES files titles; wait for the network
    to open and close 15 notes files; and then search for what you might
    need to read.
    
    _That_ is our intention. Please do not put _intentions_ into print for
    us...we know what they are. [smile]
    
    _Implementation_ is the issue here. We made a first try at it. It is
    not perfect...we did not expect that it was. We are happy to let the
    comments come in and then try again...taking your comments into
    consideration.
    
    So...keep the cards and letters coming.
    
    RE: printing them off anf reading...I have no desire to do that at all,
    nor was the intent of NOTES to do that...but many many notes readers
    have found that due to network usage and time schedules, it is the ONLY
    way to go. So, while it may not fit your particular life style; it is
    the choice of preference for many others. I was merely mentioning it as
    a valid option. Your milage may vary.
    
    
    Melinda

    RE: 1.4 and 1.5:
    Mel,
    	Please get some working titles.  I just started using this
    conference today and I am already discoureged by the lack of topic
    organization.  Not all of us poor instructors use NOTES enough to
    be that familiar with all the fancy search modes.  Also anything
    thats makes the topics seem vague or hard to use will drive away
    instructors in droves.  I don't care if the titles change
    (but not daily, please).
    
    	This is one notes conference that needs all the instrutor feedback
    it can get.

    
    Hi Ray!
    
    Welcome. I know...we are working on it...[not good enough, I
    know] but we don't want to reorganize it five times...just
    once. Please don't give up on us...we are terribly busy right
    now...I will do my bset to shove this closer to the top of
    the 'do' list.
    
    Again...welcome Ray.
    
    Mel

Just to let everyone know that Dave Maxwell, late an instructor at PKO, has
seen the light and has joined the VMS course development team here in ZKO.

He's now going to learn why it takes six months to write a one-day
seminar...

:^)

Perry 

    In case the news hasn't filtered out yet, we (the Product Managers)
    have been re-organised...
    
    The major change for Product Managers is that the old Customer Training
    Product Management group (under Jim Stewart) has been merged with the
    old DPS Internal Training Product Management group (under Charlie
    Eicher) to form a new  group called the Training Product Management
    group within the Services Development and Training organisation. This
    new group is responsible for BOTH internal and customer training. As
    there are too many PTMs in the new group to be managed by one person,
    the group is split into 2 parts, managed by Jim S and Charlie E.
    respectively, each part owning development of internal and customer
    courses for their respective technology spaces.
    
    I'll get an org chart worked up and posted sometime.
    
    The major change for me is that I've been given the job of focusing
    full-time on the training required to support the Alpha program 
    and have now passed over my VMS responsibilities to Bill Simcox and
    Jack Rhine. I will, of course, continue to be involved with VMS where
    it intersects with Alpha.
    
    Thanks to all for your help over the past 4+ years, see you in
    SUPER::ALPHA_TRAINING (moderator - SUPER::MATTHEWS). 
    
    Cheers,
    
    Andy

    I don't know if anyone out there is still reading this but if so...


    

    2 years and 4 days later...    
    
    
    
    
    I'M BACK!!
    
    Yet one more proof of the cyclic nature of the universe!!!!

    Hi Andy,
    
    I'm still reading it - shall we make it a members only conference?!
    Good to have you back.
    
    
    Hi Other Reader(s),
    
    Andy and I go back a bit. As far as autumn (fall) 1983 when UK Educational
    Services recruited me. Andy was the one who made me sweat at the
    technical interview! 
    
    -- Keith

    Welcome back, Andy, from another UK reader !
    
    Wales??  Is that somewhere near England ??  ;-)
    

    Re: .15
    
    >    Wales??  Is that somewhere near England ??  ;-)
    
    I think you have that bass-ackwards, Geoff!
    
    And anyway...now let me think... wasn't all the land south of Watford
    Gap once part of a Celtic Kingdom called Cambria -- and didn't it stay
    that way till a bunch of wandering cut-throats came over the Channel
    and forced the peace-loving Celts to retreat to the Western hills? And
    aren't the current occupants of England mostly descended from those
    reprobates, while the Welsh are descended from that wonderful lyrical
    Celtic race?
    
    :-)
    

    Re .15/.16
    
    I think your history's about right, Andy!
    
    As we've wandered well away from this conference's topic, remind me to
    tell you off-line, or when next we meet, about the time I was made an 
    honorary Welshman (I kid you not). 
    
    PS: My wife's Welsh, does this mean there's hope for me?

    And then... 20 days after announcing that I'm back... I'm off again!!!!
    
    I've accepted a new position as Manager of the Custom Learning
    Solutions group in US DLS starting next Monday October 3.
    
    Eileen Mallor will be minding the shop as VMS Curriculum Manager
    while we transition the work to a permanaent replacement.
    
    Thanks to all for the work/help/commment/aggravation over the past 6+
    years.
    
    I'll still be around - will check in with my new mail address when I
    know it.
    
    So long and thanks for all the fish...
    
    Cheers,
    
    Andy