We invite you to help turn the open Web into a rich learning environment and explore new possibilities for using Firefox add-ons to support learning online, by participating in the Jetpack for Learning Design Challenge sponsored by the Mozilla Foundation with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its digital media and learning initiative.

We’re looking for designers, educators and software developers who want to turn their innovative ideas about learning online into working prototypes in the form of Firefox add-ons. We’ll help you refine your designs and teach you how to create Firefox add-ons using Jetpack and other Mozilla technologies. Participants creating the best prototpes will be invited to the Jetpack for Learning Design Camp and the SXSW Interactive conference in March 2010.

How does it work?

Come up with an innovative idea for a Firefox add-on that brings personal learning features to the open Web. Create a mock-up and submit it on the Jetpack for Learning Design Challenge web-site before midnight (US Pacific Time) on 27 November 2009. Based on the quality of submissions, up to 60 participants will be invited into a 6-week online course that covers design/UX and technical aspects of add-on development and will help you turn your mock-up into a working prototype. We’ll select the most promising prototypes and invite up to ten of their creators to further refine their add-ons at a face-to-face Jetpack for Learning Design Camp in March 2010 and to attend SXSW Interactive immediately following the Design Camp.

What kind of ideas are we looking for?

We’re looking for your ideas how Firefox add-ons, preferably add-ons created with Mozilla’s Jetpack technology, can turn the web browser into a platform for rich personal learning on the open web. You are not restricted to work on any particular type of application. Here are a few examples to get you started. . . .

  • Turn social bookmarking and page annotation into effective learning tools (for example by including peer-assessment features)
  • Allow users to easily compile personal e-portfolios (for example, by combining their own works—photos, comments, articles—with testimonials others have written about them)
  • Let the browser suggest relevant materials for learning (for example, by automatically identifying additional articles based on what sites a person visits or which topics they search for)
  • Support social learning communities (for example, by making it easy to find and connect with others who share similar learning interests)

Who should apply?

Participation is open to individuals and teams, but we especially encourage submissions from inter-disciplinary groups (designers, educators, and software developers). You don’t need to be a computer geek, but participants are expected to implement their ideas as Firefox add-ons, which will require writing some software code.

You must be at least 18 years old in order to participate in the Jetpack for Learning Design Challenge. You must also make your submission and your add-ons available for public use under open licenses. See the Jetpack for Learning web site for more information and complete rules.

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