Notes

Revision 2 as of 2005-07-01 16:16:19

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== Edubuntu Summit Notes==

Application Selection

Should content, applications and links be provided or should that be up to the educators to sort out?

  • Issues

  • Do most educators have the skills to do this?
  • Do most schools have the resources (internet access and bandwidth) for this? - Solution possibly a default set of applications should be available to start?

    Questions to be answered:

  • Which desktop do we want to launch with? (Gnome suggested, because Gnome has advanced a lot since SkoleLinux launched, and Ubuntu is a Gnome distro by default etc).

  • Which languages will we support? (Suggestion English by default, and then the standard laguages which Ubuntu ships with)
  • Target Education Sector? Junior, Secondary, Tertiary group? (Suggestion - junior school - 6-12 years old - universities tend to do their own thing and have plenty of skill and strong ideas.)
  • Applications - if multiple applications exist for the same task/subject, which one will be selected and by whom? ( Suggestion one by default and the others in a repository on-line (universe/multiverse etc) and/or on a set of CDs or a DVD etc).
  • How will new applocations be identified, evaluated and included into edubuntu over time.
  • What subject matter/content areas will be selected?
  • Content creation - wikis - allowing classrooms to build and populate wikis with content (tuXabs is using this already - Jonthan Carter has more info).

Option: to make the edubuntu default install very sparse and then provide other content and options as add-ons, either on the same installation Cd, or on separate CD add-ons etc (comparable to Windows, SQL & MS Office Cds etc, to put one workstation together).

Minimal default install Add-ons Breezy +1

To be sorted by application type or age groups? May be able to switch between menu structures if there are various requirements - could be confussing though...

GUI / Desktop Environment

Gnome or KDE or other (T)? This need to be decided asap for first release, it is important to note that educators do not care about Gnome vs KDE vs xyz, they are concerned about receiving content in their own language and good applications, and ease of use, above all else..

Community Involvement / Presence

  • Mailing lists - edubuntu-devel list up and running (+-65 members as at 01Jul'05)
  • Web-site - not in existance yet - TBC (must be at www.edubuntu.org, hno73 asked to look at setting this up)
  • Wiki - setup at www.edubuntu.org - (hno73 to change theme and style to edubutnu colours.)
  • Logo - designed to be finalised shortly, (can be viewed on www.edubuntu.org).

Languages / Translations

What lanuages will be supported in edubuntu 1.0? Will it just be menu structures etc translated, or applications and content too?

Integration / Interoperability

Wine / Samba can be used to allow windows programs to be used with OS and OS applications to be used in Windows - this allows OS to filter into the market - and make the change over easier for users to transition between the 2 types of operating systems.

  • Issues

  • running windows applications rendered to an Ubnutu terminal (technically possible, but has legal/licesing issues) on the wondoes teminal server and application licenses.

Classroom Management

What is required for classroom management - the teacher being able to take control of the learner's desktops and apply settting etc. What tools and facilities are required for the educator

TeacherTool is an option to be used here.

Thick Windows Clients

How thin/thick must the clients be? There are requirements for multi-media video and sound streaming required and local storage (USB/floppy) drives required so that users can save data.

Learning Management Systems

Shool administration tools (schooltool is an option now). Need to look at options for schhol administration and managment - may not be provided in Edubuntu ver1.0 - we will focus on a single classroom environment for now, and will expand to school/district/government level later on - all early architechture desicions must bare this in mind.

Web Access

Many schools (particularly in Africa) either have no, or limited internet access, large/frequent downloads are not feasible.

Target Market

Spectrum of Age groups (primary, secondary or tertiary environments) Spectrum of subjects ( maths, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geography, language, grammar, etc)

K12 LTSP

TeacherTool - python package, for classroom management, allows teacher to switch applications for entire classroom.

  • - need something like this for edubuntu - Guadalinux has a similar tool

Adding and removing packages is currently through YUM. Not GUI. No easy way, catalogue to find new applications. These have to be found through Google.

"shortcuts" ...?

K12LTSP & Edubuntu to merge in future - Eric Harisson and Jeff Elkner support this view.

Legal, Policy & Privacy Issues

Content Filtering For schools a web content filter is required to ensure that children to not have access to unsuitable content. 'Dan's Gaurdian' Squid -Has white list and black list In Andalucia the security server is kept on a separate machine.

Would allows edubuntu to be seen as separate to the security layer.

It is clear that Edubuntu will have to do something, but there are issues to be dealt with.

Software Patents Not being able to create OS versions of applications if the idea is patented? Need to be careful of violating patents in any way. The induvidual who owns the patent needs to object if they feel their patent has been breached. Becomes a legal (financial) battle. There could be an option to provide this as a service - speak to Paul Compa

Accessability Disability acts - mostly a requirement for visually impaired resources - currently the tools are all windows applications, funding would be required to produce good OS versions of these.BR Is this required at a general Ubuntu level only, or are edubuntu assessability learning tools required aswell? Is there demand for school tools for people who are sight, hearing and mobility impaired etc. Edubuntu may need KDE & Gnome interface issues to be sorted out, especially if they are interacting.

User Personal Information (privacy) Not really an issue for Edubntu1.0, as we will be confined to a single classroom. User data will not really be collected. National ID numbers - stay away from Keep data in databases, and use protection mechanisms to ensure its saftey.

Windows licensing issues (cost), if windows programs are accessed from an OS system Want to help schools to save money on licensing costs.

IBM Patents for 'viavoice' etc becoming available? wrt accessability and patents- get details from Paul Flint