View source for MDN/Archives/Projects/Content/Learning Area

MDN is a well-known resource for web developers. MSN has, historically, focused mostly on advanced and intermediate web developers, with very little content specifically for those who are new to web development (or a specific skill). This gap leads new developers to use other sites to learn basic skills. The Learning Area project on MDN will address this gap by creating a new "zone" for beginners (and those expanding their current skills). The goal of the project is to create a curriculum for learning web development, with great content, examples, and ways to test your knowledge. 

= Goals =

In a more detailed fashion, this project tend to cover the following goals:
* Improve the discoverability of beginner contents: We have some existing contents but it is pretty hard to find. We need to organize it in a better way for beginners.
* Improve the quantity of beginner contents: While writing we mainly focus on average and advanced users. As a consequence, we lack some serious beginner oriented contents. We need to write those missing contents and organize them with the existing contents to make easier for everybody to access and contribute to them.
* Improve the quality of beginner contents: Still, we have some existing content for beginners but we need to organize it, complete it and make it more appealing.
* Make sure beginners are taught well during their journey to the Web: MDN is not the only resource out there to learn the Web. Beyond our own contents, it's part of the Mozilla mission to help discover and found useful good resources to learn about the web.

== Related metrics ==

In order to get some rational measurement about the success of our actions, the following metrics are suggested:
* ''Measure the increase number of unique visitors on beginner contents'': <br>That would be a good sign that our beginner contents is easier to reach.
* ''Measure the increase number of returning visitors on beginner contents'': <br>That would be a good sign that the beginners content is appealing for them.
* ''Measure the increase of time per page on the beginners content'': <br>That would be a sign that more beginners read and learn from that content.
* ''Measure the decrease of bounce rate on the beginners content'': <br>That would be a sign that more beginners read and learn more from content on MDN
* ''Measure bounce to third party resources we selected'': <br>That would be the sign that more users trust MDN as a reliable source of information regarding third party content.
* ''Measure the increase of incoming links to MDN beginner contents'': <br>That would be the sign that MDN is considered as a trustable resource for beginners.

Extra point:
* Try to gather some direct feedback about the improvement which will be made.

'''NOTE:''' ''This project is action driven rather than time driven. It means that we do whatever is needed to reach our goals, whatever the time it requires. However, in order to not to be swamped into an endless project, we try to cut into small actionable steps that allows to measure progress as often as possible.''

= Critical path =

To ensure the success of the project, the following schema detailed its critical path in term of actions.

[[File:Mdn-learning-area.png|628px|thumb|center|Critical path]]

It can be summarize as follow:
# Identify what's missing to MDN to make it suitable for beginners
# Inventory existing content available for beginners on MDN
# Organize content
# Write missing material and build missing features

== Aside ideas ==

The following ideas are not critical for the project but could be some very nice enhancements.

* Add a "search per level" option on our search engine

= Get involved =

Any one who wish to get involved with this project is welcome. This page will provide information about the project and its progress. Everything is discuss directly on [https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-mdc the dev-mdc mailing list]. Schedule and progress are summarized on the [https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/mdn-drivers the mdn-drivers mailing list]. 

[[User:Jeremie Patonnier|Jeremie]] is the resource leading that project, feel free to contact him for any question. He's available, for sure, on IRC every Monday (European time) on the various MDN Chanel (#mdn,  #mdndev) and more.

= Current progress =

== In progress ==
* Start writing content
** Set up a streamline glossary
* Define how to structure beginner content
** Results of the [[MDN/Learning_Area/Tree_of_knowledge|"Tree of knowledge" workshop]] during the MDN Work week-end on March 2014
** It will help to tag content with http://goo.gl/vpxkP1 (Webmaker FTW)
** Draft plan is: https://etherpad.mozilla.org/learning-area-structure
** Mock up for a possible Learning Zone landing page: https://moqups.com/JeremiPat/9MbRALc2
* Set up meeting with the WebMaker team on May 28/29
** https://etherpad.mozilla.org/MDN-Webmaker-meetup

== Next steps ==
* Create a learning "Zone" on MDN
* Start writing content
** Set up an FAQ section on MDN
** Set up a resources page
*** It could be a good idea to relay on http://weblitmapper.webmakerprototypes.org/
** Write a "Get started with the web" article as an entry point for beginners

== Done ==

* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.mdc/q1pQjy-J1H4 Kick off]
* [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WgOsU5gINWa7H9v0w0RzJtuI9F4TDQ2lUB4Do2jLa-0/viewform Creating a survey about MDN and third party web sites for beginners]
* Gathering initial feedback ([https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mozilla.dev.mdc/P8m2wxiWISA/Nholoe2Z4SwJ We must do things with the webmaker team])
* Spreading the survey ([https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.mdc/KrY-bvGw0kE dev-mdc] [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.mdn/Jj9B85ZBf64 dev-mdn], [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.education/V4Ir4B_bAko education], [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.webmaker/fkIX0KQ-hi8 webmaker], [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.engagement.developers/JGKhsR8w9sY engagement-developers], [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.mozillians/X4zr5UHMzQ4 mozillan], [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.reps.general/FZOk_xtV7gA reps-general])
* synthesize the survey and the raw feedback
* Spread the survey results: [[File:Learnin-area-survey-2014.pdf]]
* Inventory MDN content for [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/tag/Beginner beginners], [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/tag/Intermediate intermediate], and [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/tag/Advanced advanced] users (considered done even if it will be subject to change)

== Status reports ==

* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mozilla.mdn.drivers/VXzmNhO7j_o/_Svl1m_NutkJ 01/20/2014]
* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.mdn.drivers/u-fUoboL4t0 02/07/2014]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mozilla.mdn.drivers/BcnxCjObZEo/Flr06WlphP4J 03/14/2014]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/mozilla.mdn.drivers/KxlKFRlGkB0/l530v2Cu9lIJ 04/08/2014]

= Useful resources =

* The legacy learning area (pre redesign): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/learn
* Chris Mills awesome work: 
** https://wiki.mozilla.org/MDN/Development/Beginners_MDN_material
** http://people.mozilla.org/~cmills/coding-beginners/
* Notes from MozFest 2013: https://teach.etherpad.mozilla.org/scrum7-future?
* WebMaker project info: 
** https://wiki.mozilla.org/Learning/WebLiteracyStandard
** https://wiki.mozilla.org/Webmaker/Roadmap
** https://webmaker.org/standard
** '''NOTE:''' ''This project is a complement to the webmaker initiative, not a competitor. It can be considered as a concrete implementation of some of the webmaker ideas. Due to its nature MDN will focus on the following skills define by the Web Literacy Standard: [https://webmaker.org/en-US/standard/exploring#web-mechanics Web Mechanics], [https://webmaker.org/en-US/standard/building#composing Composing for the Web], [https://webmaker.org/en-US/standard/building#design Design and Accessibility], [https://webmaker.org/en-US/standard/building#coding Coding/scripting], and [https://webmaker.org/en-US/standard/building#infrastructure Infrastructure].''
** Definition of HTML tag by WebMaker: https://etherpad.mozilla.org/simple-mdn
* Pamela Fox at dotJS 2013 about "Making JavaScript more learnable": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JdS5RHGroQ
* The Opera Curriculum
** On the W3C Wiki: http://www.w3.org/community/webed/wiki/Main_Page
** On Webplaform.org: http://docs.webplatform.org/wiki/html/tutorials
* Learning pathway
** http://www.bentobox.io/

== Web sites made for beginners ==

The following web sites are sources of inspiration for the current work

=== English speaking resources ===

* http://www.w3schools.com
* http://www.codecademy.com/tracks/web
* http://ejohn.org/apps/learn/
* http://learn.shayhowe.com/
* https://www.codeschool.com
* https://www.learnstreet.com
* http://www.codeavengers.com
* https://www.khanacademy.org (not web related but good ideas for inspiration)

=== French speaking resources ===

* http://fr.openclassrooms.com/
* http://www.alsacreations.com/tutoriels/