Just as a possible addition to this system, to feed into other projects (see voting results here)…
If every user has a profile, and a blog space, then the really keen user could upload stories of their travels and interaction experiences. The content of the blogs could then, with user permission, become part of the, ‘Profile success stories’ project. The system could also be used to identify potential ‘Local champions’ as part of that project.
Also,
Which could feed into the ‘Promote intrigue/challenge/fun’ project/theme.
The system used to set up personal or group challenges?
An area per user you can fill with your own content sounds interesting. There are a lot of “lesson progress” threads on the forum, and from time to time people post links to blogs they’ve set up documenting their Welsh learning journey, but unless you’re willing to scroll back in time through the forum all that stuff might as well not exist.
Something to bring all that together, or provide a place where it can live permanently, has a nice ring to it.
Though on this subject - a quick win would be to build an index of all this useful forum content, and then expose it some way. e.g. links to it from the profile success stories wotsit.
Could also look at a paper based version too. Just include a numerical code on each poster. This would help those without access to a smart phone, those not comfortable with technology, but also school and other groups.
Does this thread need splitting off at this point, out of the idea dump, it’s sort of taking over a bit! Anyone know how to do that? Is splitting the thread admin only?
OK. I think we were discussing different aspects of the process. You were talking about a gatekeeper for the initial listings, I was talking about ‘reviews’ by subsequent users, which looks like it’s out of scope for the time being.
Sorry about this, it’s just that my entire career since the early 'nineties has focussed on getting unnecessary human intervention out of processes, so I’m a bit sensitive to this stuff.
We’ve come up with a quite a few ideas now. I’ve tried below to put them in some kind of priority order. Does everyone agree with this order?
Stage 1 (Pilot);
A map which locates Welsh speaking opportunities, submitted by general public to an admin team.
Stage 2 (Automation):
2) A map which locates Welsh speaking opportunities, submitted by registered users to be automatically added.
Stage 3 (Gameification):
3) Users have ability to record and rate their interactions at locations.
4) Users can take part in pre-defined challenges.
Stage 4 (Social):
5) Users can set up custom defined challenges, and share them if they wish.
6) Users have a public profile, they can join and form groups and ‘follow’ other users.
7) Users have a blog space which they can optionally complete as often as they wish.
@jamesmahoney your very generous offer of tech help should makes a Stage 1 pilot sound like it could happen. What do you think would be required to move to Stage 2/3/4? How far could you or would you want to take this on your own?
What do other people think… is there enough interest in this to make it a project? Is it a case of getting stage 1 up and running and then seeing the level of interest? Or is that jumping the gun? @ji_1@TomCasnewydd@leiafee What do you guys (or anyone else!) think?
This sounds a fantastic idea - Unfortunately I don’t think that I’d be able to contribute a great deal on the technical side of things(!) but more than happy to submit info regarding locations in the Newport area (I work as a Community Development Officer for the local Menter Iaith) and dedicate time towards getting local businesses, organisations, schools, youth forums and learner groups on board / involved with the gameification and social aspects.
But it almost feels more like three ideas going on here
Welsh practice locations
Gamification/challenge site/app
Myspace for Welsh learners to document their journey
Welsh practice locations
It’s straightforward. Capture locations, plot them on a map. I’m happy to look at a pilot for this. (Simple at first, with an eye to Skynet style total automation and future world domination (bydda i’n bod yn ol, perhaps?))
Gamification/challenge site/app
To take this one further needs enthusiastic people to organise challenges and come up with ways to gameify things. You mentioned a paper based system - perhaps that’s a starting point - go ultra low tech to see what works, and then put effort into automating it.
It looks to me as though 1 and 2 will be closely related. A basic Where To Practice Welsh map could be the beginning, then using that basic information, the gamification/challenge app could be built on that and using the same location information.
Have you ever played ingress? In the early stages that allowed users to create portals and challenges where you have to visit certain locations. Our speaking Welsh challenge app could perhaps combine visiting places where you can speak Welsh with visiting places of interest in Welsh history and culture where, even if you can’t speak Welsh there, you could read Welsh and learn more about Wales. Or is that going too far off topic and we should just stick to speaking practice?
I think this is a great idea. On the challenges front perhaps have one where people have to ask in Welsh to see the QR code to scan? That shows they would have had to use their Welsh to someone who spoke Welsh and have been understood - which kind of kills two birds with one stone. It would require the cooperation of the location in question though which is a possible deal breaker.
that’s an excellent idea. And it doesn’t have to be QR codes - just something quirky or interesting enough to make people want to capture as many as possible. Makes me nostalgic for the days of collecting different types of beermat.
Bootcamp has taught me that some places are somewhat gruff with wide eyed stumbling welsh learners, but loads of other places are super welcoming (the butcher in Newcastle Emlyn is always well up for a chat). This kind of thing would work well with the latter kind of place.
Anything goes if it leads to more Welsh.
No reason why there can’t be more than one app with challenges - all feeding progress into a single central point e.g. the way you can set up a Fitbit to send exercise information into a diet tracker app.
Was that the one where portals form on maps and you have to capture them by going to the spot with your phone?
