We Are Developers 22 - Interactive Markdown for Education & Documentation

Well… there is a so called OER movement - OER stands for OpenEducationalResources. In contrast to the OpenSource initiative, there is no such thing as a common or uniting (programming) language, where people can contribute pieces to a larger project.

It might sound strange, but we think that Markdown can be an ideal language candidate for e-learning. But it is mainly used to create static content, the syntax is fixed and not extendable. We tried to reinterpret Markdown and started to develop LiaScript, a WebApp that runs entirely within the browser; and just by referencing can turn any README into an interactive textbook, presentation, or screencast with an auto. narrator where:

• code-snippets can be executed & edited
• tables turn into diagrams
• native JavaScript support
• as well as quizzes, surveys, ASCII-art, etc.

LiaScript has its own macro-language, which can be used by developers to introduce new features that can be utilized in other courses.

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