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-like learning basics

FLOSS as a learning environment

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

FLOSS Principles for formal education?!?

Differences when translating FLOSS to 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

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 settings


Examples - informal educational settings


Observations

Students, teachers and free learners partly use the same web spaces
●

and might be connected in an unorganized way

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)
●Re-use? Higher than traditional / Peer-review? Higher than traditional /

Collaborative content production? Higher than traditional / Communities &
evolutionary growth? No


Examples


Observations

Students, teachers and free learners use the same web spaces and are
●

connected in an organized way

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)
●Re-use? Low / Peer-review? Yes / Collaborative content production? Yes

/ Communities & evolutionary growth? No


Observations

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) within known established and mature support environments
●Re-use? Yes / Peer-review? Yes / Collaborative content production? Yes /

Communities & evolutionary growth? Yes

FLOSS-like learning basics

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


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?


Thank you!

Further information at: www.flosscom.net

Contact:

andreasmeiszner@spi.pt
or
A.Meiszner@open.ac.uk

Floss Com: Floss / Open Source Like Learning Models

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