Why should I take part?
If you ever felt over-whelmed by the number of different Web 2.0 applications available and don’t know where to start in finding out more about them then this is the course for you. It’s a self-paced course that will hopefully be fun too!
The work you put in to the 11 ½ Things also has a practical and useful purpose. We’ll be putting together the examples that participants identify to create an online resource to help support our users in the use of Web 2.0 applications.
And finally there will be a prize for the person who identifies the best working examples of Web 2.0.
When does the course run?
The first week will start on Friday 1 July 2011. The last week ends on Friday 12 August 2011.
How much time will it take up?
You will need about an hour each week at a time convenient to you to work through the ‘Things’ for that week. If you feel you already know a lot about the topic on a particular week then you can always skip that week, or explore in more depth some of the applications already mentioned. Or if you are going to be away one week you can always catch up the following week.
There are no formal face to face sessions as part of this course, although you may also like to attend the session we are running as part of the Biomedical and Health Information Summer School on ‘Freely available bibliographic management and collaboration tools’. You may also like to attend the MedLibMeet at the end of the summer school, where we shall be summarising how 11½ Things went and and there will be a chance to chat with your fellow participants face to face!
I dont' think I'll have time to commit every week. Can I do just some of the Things?
Yes. Although each week may build a little on what was covered the previous week, the Things generally stand alone so if you don't have time you can pick and choose. We do ask that you do Thing 1, however, which is to set up a blog to communicate your experiences of 11½ Things so that you can tell us about the 'Things' you have done.
Are there any technical requirements?
You just need access to a computer with Internet access and some basic IT skills. Some of the tools we explore may not work to their full potential via WTS, but we will advise on this with respect to the individual examples.
Who can take part?
This course is open to any member of staff within UCL Library Services. If you wish to use work time to work on the course you should seek permission from your line manager.
How can I sign up to do the course?
To sign up please complete this short survey, which will give us an idea of how much you already know about Web 2.0 and what you hope to achieve from the programme. Then we will email you to remind you to start looking at the course on 1 July.
Can I remain anonymous?
If you prefer to remain anonymous to your fellow participants then you can choose to use a screen name for your blog and your “real identity” will not be listed. However, please still register for the course using our short survey so that we can keep track of how many people are following the course.
How will I know when it's time for the next 'Thing'? Do I need to keep checking this blog?
The new 'Things' will be launched on this blog every Friday for 6 weeks from 1 July 2011. If you have registered for the course you will receive an email when the next 'Thing' has gone live. You can also set up an RSS feed to alert you to new posts on this blog - we'll tell you how to do this in week 1.
What if I need help?
You are encouraged to share with fellow participants and support each other throughout the course. You will be able to link to everyone else’s blogs through the 11½ Things blog, and communicate with each other via your blogs. You can also email 11andahalfThings@gmail.com if you need help.
How can I find out more about the 11½ Things concept?
The 11½ Things course is based on the format of ’23 Things’ online courses that various US and UK Libraries have set up to enable their staff to learn more about Web 2.0 or ‘social media’ applications. Our own course is being run over 6 weeks, which is about half the time that most of these courses have run so we are only asking you to do 11½ Things, rather than 23! The first library to run a ’23 Things’ course was the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. UK examples have included Oxford University Libraries, Cambridge University Libraries, Imperial College London Library and the University of Huddersfield. You just need access to a computer with Internet access and some basic IT skills. Some of the tools we explore may not work to their full potential via WTS, but we will advise on this with respect to the individual examples.
