SWORD V2 Project Funds our Proposal!

A few weeks ago I wrote a proposal in response to a call for proposals from the JISC funded SWORD V2 project to help build SWORD clients. The proposal requested funds to accelerate development of software to help educators publish word processing to Connexions using the new OER publishing API that is based on SWORD V2.

The proposal is being funded! Thank you to JISC and the SWORD V2 project. Read their announcement about it here.

The basic idea is as follows:

• Many teachers use Word or Open Office to create their lessons and educational material. And many are eager and willing to share.
• Connexions is a great place to share educational materials because it is easy to reuse.
• You can combine pieces to create whole textbooks and courses.
• Connexions makes it available on the web, in print, for mobile phones, and for ebook readers.
• If you change one bit, Connexions remakes the book, the ebook, the web view, etc.
• If someone wants to adapt your content (change the examples, translate it), they can make a copy and publish their changes and you still get credit for inspiring the new adaptation.
• But, the word processing documents have to be converted to Connexions format first. 

So this new tool will help authors convert their word processing documents, preview how they will look once they are in Connexions, and then use SWORD to publish them to Connexions.

And developers can help make better versions of this tool without knowing a whole lot about how Connexions software works. Just how SWORD (and the OERPub API variant) work.