The document provides 5 tips for engaging students in real open source projects without requiring coding skills. The tips are to start with soft skills like documentation and testing instead of code; let students choose their own projects; teach students how to navigate a project's resources; encourage students to interact directly with project communities, not just the lecturer; and assess students based on their public interactions like issue reports and mailing list conversations.

1. HOW TO ENGAGE
STUDENTS
IN REAL
OPEN SOURCE
PROJECTS

2. Scott Wilson
Apache Committer
Service Manager, OSS Watch
GSoC Mentor
Researcher, University of Bolton
@scottbw
scottbw@apache.org
scott.bradley.wilson@gmail.com

3. You want to know how
to use open source
projects in your classes
I’m going to suggest one
way to do it from week
one, with no coding
required

4. HOW DID I GET HERE?
How an ASF committer and
researcher got involved in
undergraduate teaching…

5. CPU4000
Core Skills Module
First year, first semester
Traditionally “boring” stuff like how to
use library, how to do referencing in
an essay. Involved lots of lectures
Moved to inquiry based learning on
open source projects

6. Results
• Run now for 3 home cohorts of
25-45 students plus 2
international cohorts
• Some students produced
fantastic work! Some… needed
to be unstuck :)
• Notable increase in motivation

7. 5 TIPS

8. 1.
START WITH SOFT
SKILLS, NOT CODE
ly
rc e is primari n
open sou oll aboratio
ities and c
about commun

9. You don’t need coding
skills to: file a bug report
ask for help on a list or
forum correct the
documentation improve
graphics localization test
browser compatibility
ighly
en source projects value h
These are all things op

10. And the truth is, not all
computing students will
end up as developers.
r…
t out until late
b ly won’t find tha
And they proba

11. 2.
LET STUDENTS PICK
THEIR OWN PROJECTS*
*yes, non-apache ones! And especially not my-favourite-
project
We need to
build enth
and develop usiasm
a sense of
ownership

12. Working on software is
more fun if its for
something you’re
interested in already,
like music, sport,
games, art, sharing pics
of cats …
Gi ve up control now, while you still can :)

13. 3.
TEACH HOW TO “READ”
A PROJECT
Know how
to check fo
r signs of lif
e in a project

14. Get students familiar
with finding source
code, subscribing to
mailing lists, navigating
an issue tracker, and
using tools like ohloh
later
these are fundamental skills to build on

15. 4.
GET STUDENTS
INTERACTING WITH
THE PROJECT
COMMUNITY -
NOT THE LECTURER
You’ve got other things to do
, and its not like you’re
an expert on all the software
ever written

16. Start simple: try to
download and install the
software, and if you get
stuck, ask for help on
the list or forum -
NOT THE LECTURER

17. … but you can help
students understand list
etiquette
Z
PINSTALL PL
UR COD E S UX. H E L

18. 5.
ASSESS PUBLIC
INTERACTIONS
Authentic a
ssessment!

19. By which I mean things
like issue tracker
reports, conversations
on mailing lists and
forums, and any patches
(probably to doc)

20. You can use a learning
(b)log, patchwork text,
or whatever you’re
comfortable with. Even
roll it into a traditional
essay.

21. 1. START WITH SOFT SKILLS, NOT
CODE
2. LET STUDENTS PICK THEIR OWN
PROJECTS
3. TEACH HOW TO “READ” A
PROJECT
4. GET STUDENTS INTERACTING
WITH THE PROJECT COMMUNITY -
NOT THE LECTURER
5. ASSESS PUBLIC INTERACTIONS

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