Strategies & Policies for the implementation of Free & and Open Source Software in Higher Education, Presented at E-learning Africa 2010

1. Strategies & Policies
for the implementation of
Free & and Open Source Software
in Higher Education Institutions
Paul Scott
University of Western Cape
Prof. Dr. Frederik Questier
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Attribution
Non-commercial Presented at 1
E-learning Africa 2010
License
(except images)
Lusaka, Zambia

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3. Who are we?
Paul Scott
University of Western Cape, South Africa
Head of free software innovation unit
Architect and lead developer of Chisimba
Frederik Questier
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Professor learning technologies
Research and Innovation Director Chamilo
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4. Overview
Free & Open Source Software
What?
Why?
Barriers?
Strategies and policies for implementation
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5. For a better world
"The most fundamental way of helping other people,
is to teach people how to do things better
or how to better their lives.
For people who use computers,
this means sharing the recipes you use on your computer,
in other words the programs you run."
Richard Stallman
Free Software Foundation.
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7. Free (Libre Open Source) Software
FLOSS
The freedom to
run the program for any purpose
study how the program works,
and to adapt it to your needs
redistribute copies
improve the program,
and release your improvements to the public.
These freedoms require access to the source code
Source code: if encrypt(password) == encryptedpassword, then login=1, end
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Compiled code: 001001011101010011001100001111011000110001110001101

8. The free software world
characteristics
FLOSS exists for all tasks
Huge
e.g. 230K projects, 2M contributors @ sourceforge.net
e.g. IBM > 1 billion $ per year
Several business models
Well organised
User friendly ← written by users for users
Cross-platform ← recompile source code
High development pace ← reuse of best modules
High quality ← peer review, reuse = survival of the fittest
High security ← peer review, Unix origin, modular, encryption
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9. Why FLOSS?
reduce (license) costs
reduce digital divide
eliminate software piracy
easier license management
easy to localize and customize
better quality (peer review, intrinsic-motivated developers)
increase security (security by design vs security by obscurity)
increase interoperability (open standards)
reduce dependencies from monopolies & foreign software companies
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11. Bridging the digital divide
"Africa can bridge the digital divide
by adopting open source
thus narrowing the effect of techno-colonialism"
“Need for technology
that is controlled by local communities
and not by foreign companies,
that is public property
and empowers people to be self-reliant”
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www.FOSSFA.net

12. Who believes software
is better Free and Open?
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13. Who is using FLOSS?
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14. Why are you not using FLOSS?
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15. Perceived barriers?
Following the herd?
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16. Perceived barriers?
pre-installation of closed software
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17. Perceived barriers?
Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt
about
features?
quality? (hobbyist
programmers?)
sustainability?
support?
requirement to participate
in the community?
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18. Perceived barriers?
anti-competitive behaviour
monopoly abuse
secret formats
secret protocols
data and vendor lock-ins
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23. Perceived barriers?
Liability
Who can we sue?
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24. Perceived barriers?
transition costs?
plethora of choice
(e.g. >313 Linux distributions)
limited in house expertise?
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25. Who can break the monopoly?
Education
“We teach MS because that is what companies use”
Companies
“We cannot use FLOSS because our employees don't know it”
Employees
Growing number starts using FLOSS at home
Not happy with inferior software at work
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27. Institutional FLOSS taskforce /
expertise / innovation center
Create awareness
Involve all stakeholders
including highest management
Expertise & capacity building
Resources for experimentation & innovation
Provide support – sustainability
Documentation
Training → certification
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28. Policies
Purchasing policies
FLOSS, except if no good alternative
Ask
argumentation
which alternatives considered
Open standards
Open courseware
Free & Open Licenses
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29. Example proposal
FLOSS policy
X wants to encourage the use of Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) in the partner
institutions.
X will only fund the implementation and training of FLOSS, unless proprietary software is
demonstrated to be significantly superior and necessary for the required tasks. Whenever X funds
are to be used for proprietary software, reasons must be provided (including a list of FLOSS
alternatives considered) and approved by X.
In the case hardware funded by X comes with proprietary software pre-installed, it must be
demonstrated that the maximum is done to convince the manufacturer or supplier to only deliver
FLOSS. Suppliers that are willing to provide hardware with FLOSS are to be preferred above
those that don't.
Software developed with X funds must be published under a FLOSS License, where possible, in
order to maximize its usefulness for other developing countries.
X advises new development projects to include a work package around FLOSS awareness
creation, expertise building, policy definition, training, support and implementation.
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31. How to handle
the plethora of choice?
define requirements
indicators of high quality & sustainability
mature, stable software
active community
availability of support & documentation
need/possibility to change the code?
need/possibility to participate in the community?
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32. When to migrate?
Time transitions
at the end of existing contracts
at hardware / software upgrade times
Consider migrating in phases
servers
desktop applications
→ multi-platform
→ web-based
desktop OS
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33. Key success factors
for migration & implementation
resources to experiment
an evidence-based choice
involvement of both technical and non-technical users in the
selection process
choice for a new system which is in all aspects at least as
good and easy as the previous one
reporting detailed migration plan to management and get
their approval and support
in-house expertise with open source software and
communities
contact with the developers and users community
Constant communication with all stakeholders 33

34. Advantages of being a
contributing community member
co-decide the direction of development
create extensions
user requested
research driven innovation
more contacts with other educational institutions
programming projects for students
better knowledge of the system
better trouble solving
possibilities for grants 34

35. The open way
avoid local customization without
contributing back
participating in the community
establish an 'open source culture' of re-use,
collaboration and sharing
Provide FLOSS repositories / CDs
share experiences
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36. Questions? Thanks!
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37. Acknowledgements
Contact
Thanks to VLIR-UOS for funding our E-learning Africa participation
Pictures
Doubt by Elenaa Marie (Flickr)
Lockin, claustrofobia by Laororo (Flickr)
Pain Curve, creative commons by P. Scott
Liability, copyright by Proffman Poland (www.proffman.pl)
Social networking, creative commons by F. Questier
Contact:
pscott@uwc.ac.za http://www.paulscott.za.net
http://www.chisimba.com
fquestie@vub.ac.be http://questier.com 37
http://www.chamilo.org