floss com: floss / open source like learning models

Learning the Open Source Way

Opening up education through FLOSS-like approaches?

OpenLearn 2007 conference Milton Keynes, UK – 29.10.2007

FLOSS as a learning environmentFLOSS as a learning environment

FLOSS-like learning basics

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

Differences when translating FLOSS to educationDifferences when translating FLOSS to education

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

● Materials are usually the product of few authors ● Not many contributions from people other than authors● Basic software usage (and experience): word processor● Infrequent releases, feedback only seldom considered● Distribution dependent on publishers● Prior learning outcomes and processes are not systematically available (role of mailing lists/forums and commented code)● No or small community and related community services ● No continuous development cycle

Partly taken from Jesus M. Gonzalez-Barahona, Teo Romera - Edukalibre Project

Observations 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



Examples - formal educational settingsExamples - formal educational settings


Examples - informal educational settingsExamples - informal educational settings


● 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



Examples Examples


● 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



Examples Examples


● 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



Examples Examples

FLOSS-like learning basics

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

In which way is the FLOSS-like approach different from the OER In which way is the FLOSS-like approach different from the OER movement?movement?

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


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