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FLOSScom Summer University: Learning the Open Source Way

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Overview:

The summer university is a 12 week open access session with the objective of developing a course named: “Learning the Open Source Way”.

Kick-Off day: 3rd of July 2007

Official Period: July till September 2007

The course “Learning the Open Source Way” does still not exist and we would like to build this course TOGETHER WITH YOU during our Virtual and On-Campus Summer University.

If you are experienced in open source, if you are active in their communities, than we would like to learn from you about your experience, the way you learn within the open source environment.

If you are a student or educator with no experience in open source, than we would like to ask you to engage with those people that are experienced in open source and to discuss with them about open source elements that could be applied in educational settings.

And in the case you are experienced in both, open source and education, than we would like to learn from you what you see works out well in the one environment, but not in another.

All of this discourse and reflections should become part of this “Learning the Open Source Way” course. Thus other people would be able to understand on how education might be improved through open source principles, and which open source principles might not work that well in education, or need to be applied in a modified way.

Below we provide already an initial course outline, based on our “formal” experience on how we usually would start once building a new course. This initial structure is only a suggestion and if you have ideas on how to improve it – this is what we would like you to do.

Be also invited to listen to the [wiki:flosscom/Voices Voices from the Open (Source) Education Revolution] and have your say too!

Note: You would need to sign up to [http://launchpad.net/flosscom Launchpad] to get a username/password combination that would enable you to edit the wiki pages.

Possible Course Structure:

Below are the issues you might want to consider. This is only a suggestion, it is your area, and you are free to develop it however you see fit. After completing the various resources you should jointly develop a manual or toolkit which will act as a guide for anyone wishing to adapt or develop a course along the principles of a FLOSS community.

[wiki:flosscom/Introduction Introduction]

[wiki:flosscom/HowDoesItWork How does it work]

[wiki:flosscom/FLOSSCharacteristics FLOSS Characteristics]

[wiki:flosscom/LearningInFLOSS Case studies]

[wiki:flosscom/MotivationToParticipate Motivation to participate]

[wiki:flosscom/RolesInFLOSS Roles in FLOSS]

[wiki:flosscom/MidCourseQuiz Assessment and evaluation]

[wiki:flosscom/FlossTechnology Technology]

[wiki:flosscom/WhatDoesFLOSSLearningFeelLike What does FLOSS learning feel like?]

[wiki:flosscom/HowIsFLOSSLearningDifferentFromNormalEducation How is FLOSS learning different from ‘normal’ education?]

[wiki:flosscom/FlossBusinessModels Business Models]

[wiki:flosscom/FinalAssessment The FLOSS Learning Manual]

[wiki:flosscom/TerminologyandAbbreviations Terminology and Abbreviations]

This initial structure should be modified based upon received feedback and is in general open to change

Further resources, like the FLOSSCom website, should be used to include the different types of available content such as documents, links, presentations, etc.

Here are some of the issues you might consider in creating the course:

• Should we assume people are working individually or is collaboration possible?

• To what extent should the course design give learners the experience of being part of a FLOSS community?

• Who is the intended audience for such a course? I have suggested an audience in the overview, but is this correct?

• What technologies should be used to support the course? We have provided some, but you are free to suggest others (see below).

• What pedagogy, or teaching approaches are best suited to this? Should it be the same throughout the course?

• What assessment is appropriate for this course?

• What media can be used?

Further Resources and Spaces

The [http://www.flosscom.net/ FLOSSCom website] provides further information on learning in FLOSS. The website has a large document repository, several links, and serves the FLOSSCom project as a general community space.

Additionally the [http://launchpad.net/flosscom FLOSSCom Space at Launchpad] might be of use. This space provides you with a typical open source community environment. Though not designed as an educational space, it might proofs to be suitable as the summer university’s objective is, analogue to open source, aimed to be a collaborative development project.

About FLOSSCom

This project is a part of the EU funded FLOSSCom project. The project focuses on identifying the factors that contribute to successful knowledge construction in informal learning communities, such as the FLOSS communities and intends to analyze the effectiveness of FLOSS-like learning communities in formal educational settings.

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This site reflects the views of the project consortium, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.