Building eduCommons Sustainability Through Social Sourcing Creating community around open source software Tom Caswell Project Manager OCW Consortium Photo by dirac3000

Creating community around open source software

The Hewlett Funding Is Over… Now What?? Creating community around open source software Tom Caswell Project Manager OCW Consortium Photo by dirac3000

Creating community around open source software

History of eduCommons Started in 2004 at Utah State University Hewlett funded project Used by 50+ institutions worldwide

Started in 2004 at Utah State University

Hewlett funded project

Used by 50+ institutions

worldwide

eduCommons Today Critical transition point: Funding Development Stewardship

Critical transition point:

Funding

Development

Stewardship

Risks Product stagnates No support No new features Community splinters Photo by maxymedia

Opportunities and Challenges Opportunities: Leverage existing user base Collaboratively fund development Broader open source community Challenges: Find a way forward that ensures the well being of the project now and in the future. Photo by Sunfrog1

Opportunities:

Leverage existing user base

Collaboratively fund development

Broader open source community

What is social sourcing? A project organizing approach that gets diverse stakeholders to participate in creating a sustainable community. Photo by Wade from Oklohoma

What is barn raising? A project organizing approach that gets diverse stakeholders to participate in creating a sustainable community. Photo by Wade from Oklohoma

Principles of Social Sourcing Distribute the burden Diverse perspectives enrich the final product Focus on creating value for users Give everyone a voice Photo by km6xo

Distribute the burden

Diverse perspectives enrich the final product

Focus on creating value for users

Give everyone a voice

Social Sourcing Process Study the market (benchmark) ‏ Put together a compelling plan Recruit the right people Engage a wide base in refining requirements Ask for money Celebrate successes Sustain it: fun, organization, motivation Regroup, review, and restart...

Study the market (benchmark) ‏

Put together a compelling plan

Recruit the right people

Engage a wide base in refining requirements

Ask for money

Celebrate successes

Sustain it: fun, organization, motivation

Regroup, review, and restart...

Social Sourcing eduCommons Goal: Grow and sustain a vibrant, healthy community that shares in stewarding the product.

Distributed Leadership Development Quality Control Requirements gathering Planning process Marketing Support and commercial services Photo by on1stsite

Development

Quality Control

Requirements gathering

Planning process

Marketing

Support and commercial services

Organized, Open Framework Information Governance Communication tools Feedback tools Photo by Jeremy Brooks Photo by foxypar4

Information

Governance

Communication tools

Feedback tools

Enabling Social Sourcing Work with ifPeople Collaboration Consulting Code Review Testing Photo by yogi

Work with ifPeople

Collaboration Consulting

Code Review

Testing

eduCommons Shift to community participation: New educommons.com portal Development wiki: how to contribute Encouraging community contributions Feature Development Testing Translations

Shift to community participation:

New educommons.com portal

Development wiki: how to contribute

Encouraging community contributions

Feature Development

Testing

Translations

Future Directions Photo by quas OCWC oversight and stewardship Additional recruiting Community sponsors Developers Testers Translators What role you want to play?

OCWC oversight and stewardship

Additional recruiting

Community sponsors

Developers

Testers

Translators

What role you want to play?

Get Involved! Let us know your interests! [email_address] Get the product! educommons.com Facebook Group: Search "educommons" Photo by ecstaticist

Questions? Contact info: eduCommons info@educommons.com Tom Caswell [email_address] Photo by Tch0la :)