Using open software in schools
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Taking sharing to the classroom
Author: Frederick Norhona Publisher: International Open Source Network South Asia Node (CDAC Chennai), 2008 The advances in all of fields of human knowledge, is the result of the open sharing of ideas, theories, studies and research. Yet throughout many school systems, the software in use on computers is closed and locked, making educators partners in the censorship of the foundational information of this new age. This research paper describes the benefits of using open software in school education. There have been some arguments made against the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in schools: ranging from its perceived (more in earlier times, but less so now) difficulty of use; the fact that it is proprietorial software which still dominates the marketplace and even the syllabi; and FOSS users' difficulty to find support easily. Apart from the resistance to change, there is also a problem of not knowing where to get started with FOSS in the classroom. The paper points out that these issues have been addressed to varying levels. The need to build up easy-to-find support remains a critical one; and building support isn't tough in a region rich in software skills, like South Asia. As FOSS becomes easier to use, more visible and support skills are proving to be easy to build specially in regions like South Asia, there are growing reasons for FOSS to be adopted in the classroom. FOSS's potential needs to be better understood. In the developing world, issues of costs and affordability are often prime issues. Though, proponents of FOSS have argued that cost alone is not the only or even the most important reason for deploying it. Richard M. Stallman, the founding father of the Free Software Movement, and one of the most passionate and consistent supporters of Free Software use, argues that schools should exclusively use free software. The publication outlines following reason in favour of FOSS: • Free software can save the school's money. • Proprietary software rejects their thirst for knowledge by keeping knowledge secret and "learning forbidden". • FOSS is "stable, secure, feature rich, and easy to learn. • Free software permits students to learn how software works. These studies help them understand coding and ethics of programming in a much better way. • Teaching the students to use free software, and to participate in the free software community, is a hands-on civics lesson. It also gives students a role model for public service. Source: IOCN |
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