Looking at the technical side of things, here are some advantages of the current SCoPE community environment:
- Resources are available to the public. You don't need to log in to access forums, documents, etc. You do need to log in to contribute to the community, manage interaction, and access tools requiring user input.
- All resources in Moodle have a fairly tidy URL (unlike some software that has mile-long URLS, or sometimes limited ability to link directly to resources)
Given these conditions, it will be easy to link directly from the LIDC website to resources generated through participation in the community. This is better than copying them from one location to another. Also, they can be accessed in context.
Working the other direction -- linking to LIDC resources -- maybe the best way to do this is according to resource type. For example, there may be resources specific to SFU that wouldn't be of general interest to SCoPE members. On the other hand, the LIDC website may have a collection of "how to" resources that would be of general interest for anyone interested in instructional design, appropriate use of multimedia, etc.
Maybe we need a special area (course, in Moodle language) that focuses on SFU work, events, resources, etc. Or I wonder if there is a way to integrate SFU interests directly with other defined areas.
Stephanie's suggestions raise bigger questions (isn't that always the way!)
How
do we serve the needs of the SFU community first (as outlined in our
project goals), yet at the same time present SCoPE as an inclusive
community -- extending community activities and invitations for
participation to an international audience.
How do we achieve both?
What are the implications for site design?
As you can see, we need your help in figuring this out! :-)
I've never come across this head chopping problem before in Moodle!