Interactive Online Writing Assistance: a user-contributed and interactivity-enhanced website
User contribution creates a sense of belonging, vested interest and commitment Instead of simply consuming web materials, users can play a pro-active role and easily contribute web contents with today’s web technologies
Enhanced interactivity creates new opportunities and instances of interaction between users online forums, quizzes, vocabulary database, essay sharing system, reverse concordancing
Website Management A BIG part of websites that promote user contribution and interaction A SMALL task when provided with the right tools
User Status Dependent Interfaces Administrator provided with Administrative Tools link upon logon Teacher editors, forum moderators, regular users, guest visitors all get slightly different interfaces
Administrative Tools User Manager for assigning administrators and teacher editors Teacher Manager for assigning student users to teacher editors
Other Sample Administrative Tools Moderator Manager Add/Edit Category Manager
Private Forum Access Manager Grants authorized users access rights to private forums
Bulletin Board System First service offered on the site Grows from one to over twenty public forums Accepts private forums
Forum Application / Hosting Any registered user can apply to host a forum on any area of interest and become a moderator
IOWA the Forum First forum All forums with the same look to facilitate navigation and contribution
Posting a Message Only registered users No HTML required Simple plain texts Spell check function Submit button
Sample BBS Message Message generated as soon as user clicks on the submit button Built-in icons / functions: profile, reply, edit
Online Quiz System Second service offered Available to guest users Java applet No HTML required
Sample Quiz A sample quiz of ten questions by a registered user Quiz bears username Editable
Embedded Quiz Possible to embed quiz in forum message
Vocab DB: an interactive vocabulary database
Browsing and Searching Vocab DB Browse database by parts of speech or alphabetical order Guest users: limited search function Registered users: full search functions
Add Words Available only to registered users Add words by simply filling in plain texts Allows check for duplication Built-in quiz generator
Sample Entry Part of speech, definition/description, optional examples and exercises Allows picture and sound
Sample User Entry Record Record keeping Viewing and editing Checking for activation
Teacher Editors: Entry Edit and Activation Rating entries Editing entries Locking entries Adding sample questions and examples
Reverse Concordancer Programmed to match words in the vocabulary database Facilitates reading of difficult passages
Reverse Concordancing Results Words or paragraphs displayed in a new window after reverse concordancing OnMouseOver popups
Add Match Manager Matches variant forms of vocabulary entries by registered users Programmed to work with reverse concondancer
Submit An Essay Encourages submission of full length essays for comment and sharing
Sample Submitted Essay Programmed for reverse matching with Vocab DB OnMouseOver popup A new level of interactivity