This is my presentation on openSUSE.Asia Summit 2015, December 5th 2015 at NTUE Taipei

1. Linux for Basic
Education
Is it feasible?
M. Edwin Zakaria
medwin@opensuse.org

2. 2
• Mohammad Edwin Zakaria
• Linux user since 1998
• openSUSE since 6.2 around 1999
https://en.opensuse.org/User:Medwin
• openSUSE member
https://connect.opensuse.org/show/Medwin
• openSUSE Indonesia

3. 3
Indonesia at a glance

4. 4
Indonesia at a glance 1)
• Population in 2010 = 237,641,326
• Population density in 2010 = 124 person / km2
• Land area = 1,990,250 km2
• Sea area = 3,257,483 km2
• Total islands = 13,487
• Unpopulated island around 6,000
1)
from various source: http://www.bps.go.id, https://id.wikipedia.org

5. 5
Yogyakarta at a glance

6. 6
Yogyakarta at a glance 2)
• 1 of 34 province in Indonesia, resides in Java island, consist of
4 districts and 1 City
• Population in 2010 = 3,457,491
• Population density in 2010 = 1,161 person / km2
• Land area = 3.185,80 km2
• Elementary school = 1,862 (2009/2010), 1,845 (2015)
• Junior high school = 420 (2009/2010), 412 (2015
• Average student per class, elementary = 22, junior high = 33
• Graduation rates, elementary = 96.47%, junior high = 81.84%
2)
from various source: http://www.bps.go.id, https://id.wikipedia.org, http://www.pendidikan-diy.go.id

7. 7
Background
• Indonesian Ministry of Communicatian and
Information Technology with Yogyakarta
Province Education Office have a program to
enhance the quality of basic education with the
introduction of computer based learning with
open source software
• The plan is to build computer lab, 22 PC per
school with Linux OS for 500 schools
• Train teachers to make educational material

8. 8
Background...continue
• Measure the effect on students
• I was involved between 2009-2014 as network
and Linux person

9. 9
Technical Challenge
• It is easy to install OS, we have openSUSE Li-f-e
package with a bunch of educational software
• Government also wants to give the schools
internet connection by using wireless (using
ISM band)
• And…. There are 300 elementary schools and
200 junior high schools
• ……….. the headache began :-D

10. 10
Educational Challenge
• The work is considered as pilot project so we
must choose which subject selected for
computer based learning.
• There are 2 subjects selected, math and
science for grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• How about the education curriculum? Will it be
inline with the usage of open source?
• Educate teachers to create learning material
• Measure the effect on student

11. 11
Socio non-technical Challenge
• Another work-load for teachers. They should
learn how to use open source software and
how to create learning material
• New to Linux, not enough motivation
• Ask teacher that get the training and school lab
to invite other schools around it to also use the
facility and disseminate the knowledge
• …… you need a bed rest :-D

12. 12
• Technical thing = easy
• Educational thing = difficult
• Socio non-technical thing = most
difficult

13. How big the implementation ?

14. 14
Numbers
• School selection:
‒ 300 elementary out of 1862
‒ 200 junior high out of 420
• Student involved:
‒ 22 x 2 x 3 x 300 = 39,600 elementary students
‒ 33 x 2 x 3 x 200 = 39,600 junior high students
• Teacher involved, around 1000
• 12 servers, 1 SAN
• 11,000 PCs, hundreds wireless connection
• 3 stages implementation in 5 years

15. 15
Conditions and how we approach it
• Schools selection
• Infrastructure development
‒ Central repository / data center for network and learning
material in provincial level, make the lab in schools,
connecting the schools to data center
• Capacity development for teachers and school staffs.
Increasing the competency and dissemination of
knowledge
‒ Make learning material model
‒ Training for teachers and school staffs
• Implementation in schools: mentoring and evaluation

16. 16
Schools selection
• Schools
District
Elementary School Junior High School
Total Recipient % Total Recipient %
Bantul 346 78 23% 85 50 59%
Gunungkidul 487 65 13% 107 34 32%
Kulon Progo 349 38 11% 67 25 37%
Sleman 498 72 14% 104 61 59%
Yogyakarta
City
182 47 26% 57 30 53%
TOTAL 1862 300 16% 420 200 48%

17. 17
Data Center
• Make data center for providing learning
management system, database, web server, ftp
server, openSUSE repository, internet proxy,
OpenMeetings server

18. 18
Data Center
• HA using SLES 11 SP1

19. 19
Radio network
• Providing connection to schools, we use
unlicensed ISM band on 2.4 GHz and 5.7 GHz

20. 20
Radio network
• Dozens of base transceiver station, OSPF area
• Hundreds of last mile radio connection

21. 21
Infrastructure development
• Make PC lab for each school, each with 22 PC. We
first use Li-f-e 11.3 in 2010, upgrade to 11.4 in
2012, finally upgrade to 12.3 in 2013

22. 22
Capacity development
• Create learning material model (flash based,
export as SCORM/Shareable Content Object
Reference Model to Moodle)
‒ Math for elementary 26 topics
‒ Math for junior high 21 topics
‒ Science for junior high 28 topics
• http://lms.jogjabelajar.jogjaprov.go.id

23. 23
Capacity development
• We conduct tenth of training, for teachers to create
learning material and for schools staffs for
administering the labs

24. 24
Mentoring and evaluation
• Visit the school on regular basis, we use facilitator
that regularly visiting the schools, ask their problem
if any, transferring the knowledge about openSUSE
• Once a month the facilitator will present their finding
about the usage of PCs, several important conclusion:
• Perceived ease of use, content = 3.95/5, openSUSE = 3.71/5
• Perceived usefulness, content = 4.08/5, openSUSE = 3.74/5
• Attitude, content = 4.08/5, openSUSE = 3.67/5

25. 25
Schools location
• Maps

26. 26
What is difficult
• Geographic condition in several schools
• Teacher capacity
• It is very hard to teach them how to use open source
software for creating learning material
‒ Finally we give them proprietary software to create learning
material that produce SCORM based content. It is then
uploaded to Moodle LMS
• Social factor

27. Video

28. Examples of learning material
http://lms.jogjabelajar.jogjaprov.go.id

29. 29
Is it feasible?
• No problem for students
• Some problem for teachers, they only use another
OS for a long time.
• No problem as long as not for IT subject. However
no IT subject for elementary school.
• It is not easy but feasible, openSUSE implementation
needs to adapt with the user needs

30. Questions?

31. Thank you.
Join the conversation,
contribute & have a lot of fun!
www.opensuse.org

32. 32
Have a Lot of Fun, and Join Us At:
www.opensuse.org

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