翻譯：姜凱文(簡介並寄信)
修正校定：朱學恒
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麻省理工「開放式課程」計畫更新日期：2003年三月
每月發行給麻省理工「開放式課程」計畫的使用者及夥伴的電子報
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麻省理工開放式課程電子報 2003年三月號內容：
1. 促進麻省理工開放式課程的學習社群
2. 深度探索：課程 21H.126
3. 本月的科技小百科
4. 一個常見的問題
1. 促進麻省理工開放式課程的學習社群
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自從麻省理工「開放式課程」測試網站於去年對外發佈以來，我們發現已經有多個圍繞特定麻省理工「開放式課程」課程的學習社區出現。其中有些僅僅是幾個朋友聚在一起閱讀麻省理工學院的課程資料，或者根據麻省理工「開放式課程」提供的內容相互測試。使麻省理工「開放式課程」教師和員工感到高興的是，其他人則關注于如何利用麻省理工「開放式課程」網站提供的資料。
大勘薩斯市Java專業協會(KCJPA)就是這樣的一個團體，每個月集會討論有關Java程式的主題(在麻省理工開放式課程公開前即已獨立存在)，利用「課程 6.170：軟體工程實習」所提供的教材於2002年11月舉行研討會來討論其課程大綱，與利用雅虎的討論區建立一個進行中的同伴領導的研究群組的指導方針。要瞭解更多關於KCJPA及他們如何利用麻省理工開放式課程教材，請到網站： at http://www.kcjava.org. Visit their Yahoo Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KCJPA/.
在雅虎也有另外專注於麻省理工學院線上課程教材的線上群組，就在2001年4月當麻省理工開放式課程宣佈開放時，在雅虎的討論區就有一個群組成立來討論這個大膽計畫的影響： http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MIT-OpenCourseWare-Discussion/
U我們鼓勵使用者利用網路與其他的使用者溝通，如果你可讓我們知道你的群組，我們將在下期的電子報中公佈。要在雅虎建立討論群組，請到：: http://groups.yahoo.com/start
要在MSN建立討論群組，請到： http://groups.msn.com/
要在AOL建立討論群組，請到：: http://groups.aol.com/
2. 深度探索：課程 21H.126
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每個月，這份電子報將提供訂戶一份針對特定主題的深度指導。本月，我們將探討「課程 21H.126：大戰與蕭條時的美國」，這門課程是由麻省理工學院人文、藝術與社會科學學院所開設的： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/CourseHome/index.htm
麻省理工學院的梅格．雅各教授的主題檢視了經濟大蕭條與第二次世界大戰如何永久地改變了美國政治與社會。他的題目涵蓋了（紐約股市的）大崩盤、（羅斯福總統的）百日新政、羅斯福、家園、諾曼地登陸以及原子彈轟炸。這些課程教材透過影片、小說、報紙以其他的歷史文件來探討這些事件。
T在網站中這門課程包含了豐富的影像收集來支援並說明課程主題，從「繁榮的結束」到「戰後美國的遺產」。點選「相關資源」來觀賞這龐大的線上圖庫：
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/RelatedResources/detail/images.htm
網站也包含了一個詳盡的重要事件的時間表： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/RelatedResources/index.htm
在雅各教授的教學大綱中的時間表與圖庫烘托出這個課程的時間與主題： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/Syllabus/index.htm
時間表與圖庫也會幫助使用者完成網站中的「作業」所列出的閱讀問題： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/Assignments/index.htm
3. 本月的科技小百科
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當麻省理工開放式課程網站持續地成長與發展，我們正將重點放在提供使用者功能齊全的搜尋與根據後設資料標籤所建立的交互參考功能。目前，網站的搜尋仍有些限制，但使用者仍可執行一些進階的搜尋功能，如：精確片語 – 若你想要用精確片語進行搜尋，就使用雙引號(“ “)將片語輸入在搜尋欄中。包含/排除字元 – 為了限制搜尋，可使用特殊字元來將字元包含或排除。例如，加號(+)在文字前則是這個文字都會在搜尋結果中，減號(-)在文字前則是這個文字都不會在搜尋結果中。使用萬用字元(*) – 萬用字元在搜尋相似的字時很方便，萬用字元是星號(*)而且只能加在字的尾端。所以，“build*”是個有效的單字搜尋，但“b*d”就不行了。這個搜尋方式有其限制。例如，它可能無法送回擁有與在星號之前的文字完全相符的單字的檔案。
要瞭解更多的搜尋技巧，使你能更加體驗麻省理工學院的課程教材，請到： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/search-help.htm
4. 一個常見的問題
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問：使用麻省理工學院“開放式課程網頁”有什麼先決條件
答：因為麻省理工開放式課程並非遠距教學或學位授與的活動，不需要註冊程序來閱讀課程教材。麻省理工開放式課程是一個課程教材的發佈，支援麻省理工學院教育的動態教室互動。麻省理工開放式課程對任何世界各地的使用者而言是不收費的線上系統。
使用麻省理工開放式課程自修時也不需要任何的先決條件，如果你想知道麻省理工學院的學生在修習個別課程時的先修條件，請到麻省理工學院的線上課程分類： http://student.mit.edu/catalog/
要找到有關麻省理工開放式課程的問題與解答，請到： http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/help.htm
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The MIT OpenCourseWare Update: March 2003
A Monthly E-mail Newsletter for Users
and Friends of MIT OpenCourseWare
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The March 2003 MIT OpenCourseWare Update Contains:
1. Fostering MIT OCW Learning Communities
2. Digging Deeper: Course 21H.126
3. Technology Tip of the Month
4. A Frequently Asked Question
1. Fostering MIT OCW Learning Communities
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Since the MIT OCW pilot site opened to the public last year, we have discovered that several learning communities have sprung up around certain MIT OCW subjects. Some of learning communities are simply a few friends who gather to read through MIT's course materials, or test each other on the content provided by MIT OCW. But others have taken on a more focused approach to utilizing the materials presented on the MIT OCW site, much to the delight of MIT's faculty and staff.
One such group is the Greater Kansas City Java Professionals Association (KCJPA). This organization, which meets each month to discuss issues related to Java programming (and existed independently before the public release of MIT OCW), took the materials offered in "Course 6.170: Laboratory in Software Engineering" and held a workshop in November 2002 that discussed the course syllabus, and established guidelines for an ongoing peer-led study group of the MIT OCW materials, utilizing a Yahoo Discussion Board. To read more about the KCJPA and how they have utilized MIT OCW materials, visit them on the Web at http://www.kcjava.org. Visit their Yahoo Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KCJPA/.
Yahoo is also the host for another online community focused on MIT's online course materials. Shortly after MIT OCW was announced in April 2001, a group was formed on Yahoo to discuss the implications of this bold initiative: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MIT-OpenCourseWare-Discussion/
Users are encouraged to utilize the Web to communicate with other MIT OCW users. If you let us know about your group, we will publicize it in upcoming edition of the "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" email newsletter. To start a group on Yahoo, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/start
To start a group on MSN, go to: http://groups.msn.com/
To start a group on AOL, go to: http://groups.aol.com/
2.Digging Deeper: Course 21H.126
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Each month, this newsletter offers subscribers an in-depth guide to one particular subject. This month, we delve into "Course 21H.126: America in Depression and War," a course from the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/CourseHome/index.htm
MIT Professor Meg Jacobs' subject examines how the Great Depression and World War II permanently changed American politics and society. Topics include the Great Crash, the New Deal, Roosevelt, the home front, the Normandy Invasion, and the atomic bomb. The course materials explore those events through film, novels, newspapers, and other historical documents.
The MIT OCW site for this course includes a rich collection of images that support and illustrate the lecture topics from "The End of Prosperity" to "Legacies for Postwar America." Click on "Related Resources" to see the large image gallery available online:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/RelatedResources/detail/images.htm
The site also includes a detailed timeline of key events: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/RelatedResources/index.htm
The timeline and the image gallery support the course schedule and objectives outlined in Professor Jacobs' syllabus: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/Syllabus/index.htm
The timeline and the image gallery should also help MIT OCW users complete the reading questions in the "Assignments" section of the site: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/History/21H-126America-in-Depression-and-WarSpring2003/Assignments/index.htm
3. Technology Tip of the Month
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As the MIT OCW site continues to grow and evolve, we are focused on providing robust search and cross-referencing capabilities for users, based on metadata tags. Currently, the site's search is somewhat limited, but users are still able to perform some advanced searches: Exact Phrase - If you would like to search for an exact phrase, use double quotes (" ") around the phrase in the Search Box. Including/Excluding Words - In order to limit the search, you can use special characters that require words to be included or excluded. For example, a plus sign (+) in front of a word will require that word(s) be in all of the returned results; a minus sign (-) in front of a word will require that the word not be contained in all of the returned results. Using a Wildcard - Wildcard characters are helpful in searching for words that are similar to the word(s) entered. The wildcard character is the asterisk (*) and it can be used only at the end of a word. So "build*" is a valid search word, but "b*d" is not. This type of search has limitations. For example, it may not return documents that have whole words matching the text preceding the asterisk.
For more search tips that will optimize your experience with MIT course materials: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/search-help.htm
4. A Frequently Asked Question
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Q. What are the prerequisites for MIT OCW courses?
A. Because MIT OCW is not a distance-learning or degree- granting initiative, there is no registration process required for users to view course materials. MIT OCW is a publication of the course materials that support the dynamic classroom interactions of an MIT education. MIT OCW is available on the Web, free of charge, to any user anywhere in the world.
There are also no prerequisites for users who utilize MIT OCW course materials in their own learning. If you would like to read about the prerequisites that MIT students must have completed before taking individual courses at the Institute, please visit the online MIT Course Catalog: http://student.mit.edu/catalog/.
To find answers to all of your questions about MIT OCW: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/OCWHelp/help.htm
