Checkout Lesson Contribution: Suggestions

[Talishask]

I'm a member of The Carpentries Core Team and I'm submitting this issue on behalf of another member of the community. In most cases, I won't be able to follow up or provide more details other than what I'm providing below.

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I suggest updating

• Find options to work with data through the OpenRefine dropdown menus
• Split cells which contain multiple bits of data so that each piece of data is in its own cell

To

Explore strategies for working with data through the OpenRefine dropdown menus Modify individual values by splitting cells

(Note that the first learning objective is clear, needs no updates!)

[ostephens]

Hi @Talishask . I'm not sure that these updates are actually improvements to what we already have. I'm willing for others to give an opinion but in my view the original wording is better for what the lesson is actually aiming at. Especially on the second point - there are multiple reasons why you might split a cell, not just to modify individual values, and so I think the existing objective is more accurate.

[emcaulay]

I agree with @ostephens that the original phrasing is preferred.

"Split cells which contain multiple bits of data so that each piece of data is in its own cell"

• Gives learner the words "Split cells" at the beginning of the phrase and "Split" is the action that available from the OpenRefine dropdown menu so it reinforces the action the learner needs to take.
• "each piece of data is in its own cell" also tells the learner what the outcome of the "split" will be.

Recognizing that @Talishask will not be following up on this issue, maybe we want another Open Refine maintainer comment before closing the issue?

[jas58]

(First day as a maintainer) concur with both comments above. I can offer to email the Carpentries' general office or Ms Sutton Kennedy directly about where the request came from. Perhaps this source is post-survey feedback for a session like the one I watched.

I can share two interpretations from my experience, new to OpenRefine:

• the instructor used the command line and live-coded GREL rather than using the drop-down menus. So perhaps it's a request to use drop-down menus rather than live code?

• the first trip through this workshop, completely virtual, was awful. I couldn't watch the instructor's actions on screen and have my active browser tab to 'practice' or 'monkey-do' because I only had access to a single laptop, no extra monitors. So I was confused between which drop down arrows to use and when to look at the left column. Only the first time I taught the material myself, did I realize the architecture of the lesson is to move through the home screen menus sequentially.

[ostephens]

Thanks @jas58

I can offer to email the Carpentries' general office or Ms Sutton Kennedy directly about where the request came from

I have to admit to finding these indirect suggestions slightly frustrating as there is no real opportunity to understand the issue from the user who reported it :( Given we referenced Talisha by user name in our discussion above and there was no further information forthcoming I'd be inclined to assume that they have no further information to share and I'd not want to bother them further with requests for information

perhaps it's a request to use drop-down menus rather than live code?

This lesson (lesson 3) uses the "Split multi-valued cells" option which is only available via a dropdown menu - so I don't think this is a menu vs GREL expression thing

I realize the architecture of the lesson is to move through the home screen menus sequentially.

I definitely agree this could be clearer - I've suggested in response to your PR #225 that this lesson would be improved by

a fuller breakdown of the OpenRefine screen layout (which this section is meant to introduce) with a screenshot as illustration and the different areas marked

Do you think that might have helped you in your experience? (it may not have given the limitations of the virtual format with limited screen space)

[jas58]

I propose closing this issue given the successful completion of #225