User:Jon Stansell/sandbox

Sandbox Expanded Definition

The sandbox area is an online place in which an individual Wikipedian can work on individual training assignments without affecting the main pages of Wikipedia. As a standard WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get), the sandbox has the useful feature of not requiring Wiki markup. This enables new users to create content in a non-threatening, familiar context, similar to a word-processing program, blog/comment section, or webpage editing window. Developmental theorists like Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget support the idea of "scaffolding" difficult projects with familiar concepts and smaller, lower-stakes projects.

Human Knowledge Access

Informational writing also does not carry the same authoritative weight of argumentative writing, and it is less prone to refutation based on preference. The burden of correctness is placed on the sources cited, not the content developer personally. There is somewhat less risk in this venture when content is rejected, because the vested interest is in correct content with a logical organization, both of which can be determined by a third party. In this sense, the acting philosophy of a Wikipedian narrows, presuming standard, communal definitions for reality, ethics, and beauty, while treating access to truth as the highest value.

Value to New Users

Because the sandbox is not high-stakes, it follows a standard learning curve suggested by writing curriculum developers and teachers such as Peter Elbow and David Bartholomae, i.e. to begin with low-stakes writing in personally meaningful topics and progress to higher-stakes writing in topics of general or purpose-specific topics. This area is also useful in terms of curriculum to orient authors to the overall purpose of the organization and freedom of expression that is key to the shared interface in Wikipedia. The sandbox serves not only the goodwill and creativity of its user-authors, but also their comfort and ease of access, enabling new users to develop both sound and ethically responsible content.

Place for Public Writing

Using a public variety of English and standard word-processing cues also communicates the unbiased ethos of the website, increasing the potential for new user buy-in. Practicing information-focused and relevant content in a general style is important to help authors shift their typical writing style and purpose in order to meet the criteria and expectations of the main pages. This is especially useful for those familiar with other genres of writing, including argumentative, personal, opinionated, or un-cited, which are appropriate to use in other venues like emails, social media, or classrooms, but not for wikipedia articles. The sandbox is thus a familiar, standard, non-personal, low-risk, and transitional medium for authors.

==Notes==