1) The document discusses two experiments using free and open source software (FOSS) for education - the École Ouverte Francophone (EOF) and the OpenSE project. 2) EOF is a French non-profit that offers online FOSS administrator certification courses over 25 weeks. Over 150 students completed courses between 2006-2011. 3) OpenSE is an EU-funded project to create an open online learning environment for computer science. It includes courses, games, and guides contributed by several universities. Learners participate in Apache Software Foundation mentoring projects.

1. What for?
EOF and OpenSE
Conclusion
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments
Olivier Ricou
LRDE / EPITA
fOSSa 2011
2010-10-26
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 1/13

2. What for?
EOF and OpenSE
Conclusion
How can we use FOSS to teach Computer
Sciences ?
FOSS as a tool
use FOSS as everyday tools (EOF / EPITA)
implicit knowledge −→ integration in FOSS project easier
FOSS' spirit
what does it means Free? (EOF / OpenSE)
legal implications −→ professional uses, civil rights
FOSS as learning material
join an Apache project to learn (OpenSE)
resume open project of last year (OpenSE / LRDE)
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 2/13

3. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
École Ouverte Francophone
http://www.eof.eu.org/
A non-prot organisation (Alix Mascret president).
Online courses. One main formation:
Certication Professionnelle aux LL (CPLL)
Administrator (System/Network) of systems based in FLOSS
25 weeks
300 hours
technician curriculum (bachelor)
Started in January 2006, should die in 2012.
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 3/13

4. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
Open educational framework for computer
science Software Engineering
http://www.opense.net/
EU project Lifelong Learning Programme
Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação SPI
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki AUTH
Free Knowledge Institute FKI
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos URJC
University of Oxford OSS Watch
University of Maastricht / UNU-MERIT UNU-MERIT
Tampere University Technology TUT
Ecole pour l'Informatique et les Techniques Avancees EPITA
The Open University The OU
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 4/13

5. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
OpenSE founding principles
Social inclusion, participation and empowerment of all citizens,
Access to knowledge and specially educational resources and
technology,
Promote a culture of sharing and cooperation,
Encourage diversity of culture and perspectives,
Collaboration and innovation to develop eective and
sustainable solutions.
Objectives
A common unocial learning place
Combine formal and informal learning
Participatory learning experiences
Benet from others' achievements
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 5/13

6. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
EOF tools
Pure online courses.
Amarante
Initial cooperation with ENST to produce an e-learning platform:
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 6/13

7. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
Use real tools
Software needed (FLOSS of course):
OS (Linux Debian)
communication tools (mail, chat, mailing list...)
report tools (docbook, latex)
publication tools (apache, )
versioning system (svn)
system tools (UNIX, LDAP, DNS...)
24/7 hotline (merci Alix et Jean-Philippe)
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 7/13

8. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
OpenSE tools
Mix online / classroom courses.
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 8/13

9. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
A web site:
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 9/13

10. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
Learning material
Courses (26)
eduGames (1)
Guides for Learners (20)
Guides for Mentors, Assisants and usage (5)
Most courses from Free Technology Academy University J. Carlos
Apache Software Foundation mentoring
Learners choose ASF project,
Learners helped by experienced mentors from the ASF,
A moral contract between both,
Not only coding, not only for students from universities.
A free (as beer) open Google Summer of Code all the year.
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 10/13

11. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
EOF sessions
name begin end # students
daemon janv. 2006 juin 2006 11
udp sept. 2006 mars 2007 08
/proc mars 2007 juin 2007 07
/sys nov 2007 juin 2008 14
/boot nov 2008 juin 2009 09
/dev nov 2009 juin 2010 16
nov 2010 juin 2011 0
/tmp nov 2011 juin 2012 15
Table: CPLL sessions
All students found a job
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 11/13

12. What for? Goal
EOF and OpenSE Tools
Conclusion Results
OpenSE sessions
Main user: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Hundreds of student involved in 3 years.
We liked the learning experience because it was dierent from
formal education and because we had the freedom to choose our
tasks and project methods.
Forum
About 250 messages in 3 years −→ 2 messages per work week
Apache mentoring
No candidate
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 12/13

13. What for?
EOF and OpenSE
Conclusion
Conclusion
pros
FOSS as tool works
FOSS as learning material −→ good results for the student
cons
dicult (impossible ?) to involve a class in FOSS projects
increase teachers work
substainability is a major issue
As a learner, teacher or mentor openSE has something to oer to
you, thus why not giving back to openSE?
ÉOF and OpenSE experiments 13/13