Learning the Open Source Way
Opening up education through
FLOSS-like approaches?
OpenLearn 2007 conference Milton Keynes, UK – 29.10.2007

FLOSS-like learning basics
FLOSS as a learning environment
Looking at FLOSS in particular and the web in general we can see
that:
Content is not something static but dynamic
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Learning resources are manifold
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Users are also active creators
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Support and learning resources are closely connected
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Open and transparent structures foster re-use and discourse,
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but also continuous improvement and evolutionary growth
Existence of a wide range of possible activities to engage at
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around the core product
Self-studying and learning from what others did are the pre-
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dominant form of learning

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Differences when translating FLOSS to education
Materials are usually the product of few authors
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Not many contributions from people other than authors
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Basic software usage (and experience): word processor
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Infrequent releases, feedback only seldom considered
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Distribution dependent on publishers
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Prior learning outcomes and processes are not systematically
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available (role of mailing lists/forums and commented code)
No or small community and related community services
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No continuous development cycle
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Partly taken from Jesus M. Gonzalez-Barahona, Teo Romera - Edukalibre Project

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Observations
Students, teachers and free learners partly use the same web spaces
●
and might be connected in an unorganized way
●Teachers’ output might be made available at repositories for the general
public (e.g. OER)
●Students’ outputs (e.g. Projects, presentations, papers) are in general
‘lost’, or in the best case available at an internal LCMS
●Students’ learning processes are ‘lost’, or in the best way recorded at
informal learning spaces at the web (e.g. discourse at forums)
●Students’ activities do not become part of the course (e.g. Collaborative
group works)
●Students’ support is divided into formal support (usually not recorded) and
informal support at the web (recorded, but somehow lost for future
students)
●Re-use? Partly / Peer-review? Partly / Collaborative content production?
Partly / Communities & evolutionary growth? No

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Examples - formal educational settings

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Examples - informal educational settings

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Observations
Students, teachers and free learners partly use the same web spaces
●
and might be connected in an unorganized way
●Teachers’ output might be made available at repositories for the general
public (e.g. OER)
●Students’ outputs are not ‘lost’, but might be accessible only on a internal
level
●Students’ learning processes are ‘lost’, or in the best way recorded at
informal learning spaces at the web
●Students’ activities become part of the course
●Students’ support is divided into formal support (usually not recorded) and
informal support at the web (recorded, but somehow lost for future
students)
●Re-use? Higher than traditional / Peer-review? Higher than traditional /
Collaborative content production? Higher than traditional / Communities &
evolutionary growth? No

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Examples

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Observations
Students, teachers and free learners use the same web spaces and are
●
connected in an organized way
●Teachers’ output might be made available at repositories for the general
public (e.g. OER)
●Students’ outputs are not lost, but widespread at informal learning spaces
at the web
●Students’ learning processes are not lost, but widespread at informal
learning spaces at the web
●Students’ activities do not become part of the course
●Students’ support is divided into formal support (usually not recorded) and
informal support at the web (recorded, but somehow lost for future
students)
●Re-use? Low / Peer-review? Yes / Collaborative content production? Yes
/ Communities & evolutionary growth? No

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Examples

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Observations
Students, teachers and free learners use the same web spaces and are
●
connected in an organized way
●Teachers’ output is made available at repositories for the general public
(e.g. OER)
●Students’ outputs are not ‘lost’ and become part of the course or are a
further learning resource
●Students’ learning processes are not ‘lost’, with information where to find
them recorded at informal learning spaces at the web
●Students’ activities become part of the course
●Students’ support is divided into formal support (usually not recorded) and
informal support at the web (recorded, but somehow lost for future
students) within known established and mature support environments
●Re-use? Yes / Peer-review? Yes / Collaborative content production? Yes /
Communities & evolutionary growth? Yes

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Examples

FLOSS-like learning basics
In which way is the FLOSS-like approach different from the OER
movement?
At the current OER movement
We create repositories, but not learning communities
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Content is defined and produced in the traditional way
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Content is static, not manifold and rarely updated
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Formal students do not directly engage with OER and thus do
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not engage with external students or free learners
Students' / Free learners' learning processes and learning
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outcomes do not become part of something (course, learning
resource, product, etc)
Support and learning resources are not connected
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We don't really look at motivations and activities to attract free
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learners to become active contributors

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Some questions
How could a FLOSS-like approach in educational settings be applied?
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Which structures would be required for applying it?
How could the FLOSS support model benefit formal education
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How could the concept of “re-use”, “collaborative content creation” and
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“peer review” be translated to formal education
What are the FLOSS equivalent motivations and activities in an
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educational setting?
What are the similarities and differences between FLOSS and education
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communities?
What are the barriers or obstacles to a FLOSS-like approach in
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education?
Are there examples of formal educational environments similar to FLOSS
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communities from which we could learn?

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?
Thank you!
Further information at: www.flosscom.net
Contact:
andreasmeiszner@spi.pt
or
A.Meiszner@open.ac.uk