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Why Foss in Education makes sense

  Philip Tellis / philip@bluesmoon.info
                            Yahoo!


          FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01




     FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
$ whoami




    Philip Tellis
    philip@bluesmoon.info
    @bluesmoon
    yahoo
    geek




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
What this talk is not about




      Educational tools under linux
      Free educational tools
      Cost benefits of using foss in schools




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
What this talk is about




      Foss as a means of fostering education
      Foss as a means of validating research
      The fossification of education




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
The role of computers in education




     Computer Education
     Other Education
     Academic related
     Administrative




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
The role of computers in education




     Instruction delivery
     Instruction enabling
     Administration




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Instruction delivery




      Throw information at students until they know it all
      Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests
      Throw data at students and let them process it
      Let the student derive information




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Instruction delivery




      Throw information at students until they know it all
      Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests
      Throw data at students and let them process it
      Let the student derive information




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Instruction delivery




      Throw information at students until they know it all
      Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests
      Throw data at students and let them process it
      Let the student derive information




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Instruction delivery




      Throw information at students until they know it all
      Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests
      Throw data at students and let them process it
      Let the student derive information




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Instruction enabling




      The computer as the laboratory
      C programming can only be taught on a computer
      Playing with Math and Science on the computer




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Do we want the computer to program the child or the child to
                 program the computer?




            FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Language learning is natural




     Natural languages are learnt through living
     Learning is inherited from ones surroundings
     Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic
     to be learnt
     Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Language learning is natural




     Natural languages are learnt through living
     Learning is inherited from ones surroundings
     Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic
     to be learnt
     Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Language learning is natural




     Natural languages are learnt through living
     Learning is inherited from ones surroundings
     Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic
     to be learnt
     Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Language learning is natural




     Natural languages are learnt through living
     Learning is inherited from ones surroundings
     Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic
     to be learnt
     Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Debugging ones mistakes




     Don’t punish children when they make mistakes
     Teach them to debug
     Teach them to read other peoples’ problems and debug
     them too




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
This is where Foss shines




     FOSS is great for learning because the source code is
     available. Not just for reading, but for modification, and
                          experimentation.




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Use FOSS tools instead of proprietary ones




     Should we teach students specific tools or give them the
     ability to learn any tool?
     Should we NOT teach the current popular tools?
     Throw responsibility into the hands of students




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Popularity begets Obsolescence




FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Academics and FOSS




    Academia spreads knowledge by publishing papers,
    results and findings.
    Foss is a solid implementation of these ideas
    Foss allows one to build on another’s knowledge
    Foss allows verifiability – the basis of all scientific
    publishings




              FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
We need to foster this at the school level




      Students of higher classes can build tools for lower classes
      Students work in a virtual world for the topic they study
      Programming expertise is not required, but domain
      expertise is built
      Students learn by collaborating and studying others’
      implementations




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Doing, teaching, collaborating




     Learning is fostered by doing, teaching and collaborating
     This is why Foss makes sense for education
     We have plenty of examples in computer science and
     bioinformatics
     Let’s apply this to other fields too




               FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Education needs to be Free and Open




 FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Education wants to be Free and Open




 FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense
Thanks




   http://tech.bluesmoon.info/2005/11/why-foss-in-education-makes-
                               sense.html




                FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01   Why Foss in Education makes sense

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Why FOSS in education makes sense

  • 1. Why Foss in Education makes sense Philip Tellis / philip@bluesmoon.info Yahoo! FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 2. $ whoami Philip Tellis philip@bluesmoon.info @bluesmoon yahoo geek FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 3. What this talk is not about Educational tools under linux Free educational tools Cost benefits of using foss in schools FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 4. What this talk is about Foss as a means of fostering education Foss as a means of validating research The fossification of education FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 5. The role of computers in education Computer Education Other Education Academic related Administrative FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 6. The role of computers in education Instruction delivery Instruction enabling Administration FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 7. Instruction delivery Throw information at students until they know it all Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests Throw data at students and let them process it Let the student derive information FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 8. Instruction delivery Throw information at students until they know it all Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests Throw data at students and let them process it Let the student derive information FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 9. Instruction delivery Throw information at students until they know it all Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests Throw data at students and let them process it Let the student derive information FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 10. Instruction delivery Throw information at students until they know it all Don’t let them go ahead unless they pass all tests Throw data at students and let them process it Let the student derive information FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 11. Instruction enabling The computer as the laboratory C programming can only be taught on a computer Playing with Math and Science on the computer FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 12. Do we want the computer to program the child or the child to program the computer? FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 13. Language learning is natural Natural languages are learnt through living Learning is inherited from ones surroundings Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic to be learnt Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 14. Language learning is natural Natural languages are learnt through living Learning is inherited from ones surroundings Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic to be learnt Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 15. Language learning is natural Natural languages are learnt through living Learning is inherited from ones surroundings Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic to be learnt Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 16. Language learning is natural Natural languages are learnt through living Learning is inherited from ones surroundings Create virtual lands where the mother tongue is the topic to be learnt Mathland, Physicsland, Poetryland FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 17. Debugging ones mistakes Don’t punish children when they make mistakes Teach them to debug Teach them to read other peoples’ problems and debug them too FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 18. This is where Foss shines FOSS is great for learning because the source code is available. Not just for reading, but for modification, and experimentation. FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 19. Use FOSS tools instead of proprietary ones Should we teach students specific tools or give them the ability to learn any tool? Should we NOT teach the current popular tools? Throw responsibility into the hands of students FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 20. Popularity begets Obsolescence FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 21. Academics and FOSS Academia spreads knowledge by publishing papers, results and findings. Foss is a solid implementation of these ideas Foss allows one to build on another’s knowledge Foss allows verifiability – the basis of all scientific publishings FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 22. We need to foster this at the school level Students of higher classes can build tools for lower classes Students work in a virtual world for the topic they study Programming expertise is not required, but domain expertise is built Students learn by collaborating and studying others’ implementations FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 23. Doing, teaching, collaborating Learning is fostered by doing, teaching and collaborating This is why Foss makes sense for education We have plenty of examples in computer science and bioinformatics Let’s apply this to other fields too FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 24. Education needs to be Free and Open FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 25. Education wants to be Free and Open FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense
  • 26. Thanks http://tech.bluesmoon.info/2005/11/why-foss-in-education-makes- sense.html FOSS.IN/2005 – 2005/12/01 Why Foss in Education makes sense