Announcement: I will be hosting an introductory LaTeX workshop at the University of Oklahoma Bizzell Library on September 27th at 2PM central. This is the second workshop I have put on based on my off-broadway version of Software Carpentry for LaTeX.
What We Cover
Based on the popularity of the Software Carpentry program to introduce novice programmers to the basics of programming I decided to write my own LaTeX workshop. The goal is to teach students LaTeX in a code-along style. The instructor introduces general concepts, and the class develops a document based on examples using the concepts as we go along. This format of LaTeX workshop breaks down the daunting task of learning the esoteric typesetting language into meaningful parts. The code for the materials is open source, so please steal and contribute to the code.
The front end of the instructional materials, seen here, is a nice clean looking Carpentries-inspired interface that invites the student to apply what is discussed to examples. My not-quite-a-carpentry code is a continual work in progress, and everyone is encouraged to contribute. The back end of the code can be viewed here.
My Thoughts on the Workshops
Since this is the second workshop based on the materials, I expect things to go even better than last time. The event surprised the folks at the library. Honestly, so was I! The OU Library system puts on lots of workshops to instruct students in relevant tech topics. Yet, they never (to my knowledge) had someone on staff well-versed in LaTeX. I would not consider myself an expert, but I enjoy using the high degree of control that comes with the typesetting for a number of my publications and documents. This should be obvious since I wrote my own dissertation template in LaTeX. Or maybe I’m just a sucker. Who knows?