flosscom
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FLOSScom Summer University: Learning the Open Source Way
Overview:
The summer university is a 12 week open access session with the objective of developing a toolkit called: “Learning the Open Source Way”.
Kick-Off day: 3rd of July 2007
Official Period: July till September 2007
The toolkit “Learning the Open Source Way” does not exist - we would like to create it 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 reflection should become part of this “Learning the Open Source Way” toolkit. The toolkit (e.g. a manual, or set of guidelines) should allow anyone who wants to create an educational course to adopt some open source principles.
Below we have developed a set of questions that we would like you to complete, finishing with the final toolkit. By completing the set of questions you should gain the experience necessary to develop the toolkit, and also these pages will act as a resource we can all use in developing the toolkit.
The type of open source principles that might be of benefit for education should have been identified by answering the initial set of questions.
Note: You need to register at this wiki to edit pages. The fastest way to register is [http://wiki.ubuntu.com/UserPreferences here]. In the case you are also interested in using Launchpad, like for the [http://answers.launchpad.net/flosscom Questions and Answers], you might prefer to register [http://launchpad.net/flosscom at Launchpad]. By registering at Launchpad you are automatically able to edit this wiki too.
Reasons to participate
There are various reasons why you should participate. Below are just some of them!
Gain Knowledge and Experiences
Learn about the world of scientific research, collaborate with experts and become a part of the community. Share your ideas and knowledge with people of different cultural background, express yourself, stand out and be recognized. Add a difference to your CV and gain new knowledge and experiences!
Learn about FLOSS communities.You may have heard about open source communities and wondered how a group of distributed individuals can collaborate to produce some of the best software in the world. Now is your chance to participate in such a community, but with the focus on learning and not software.
Contribute towards improving Education
Ever surfed the web and thought it provides you with better information and more support than you receive at the classroom?
If the answer is yes: This is your chance to share your ideas on what might be improved in formal education! Don’t be silent, be active!
Be invited to an International Workshop in Portugal
As a reward for your contribution we will invite 10 students to an International Workshop in Portugal during summer 2008!
Ten students that proved a high commitment to the “Virtual & On-Campus Summer University” will be invited by the FLOSSCom project team. The FLOSSCom project will cover the travel cost to Portugal, accommodation and meals!
For those of you who are not one of the lucky 10 there will still be the possibility to participate at the International Workshop in the virtual world!!!
Get a Certificate
All those who participate in the project and / or “Virtual & On-Campus Summer University” will receive an e-certificate in the name of all FLOSSCom project partners of having participated in the project.
Set of Questions
Below is a set of questions that we thought might be useful to be answered first and leading us to a clear idea on what the final toolkit should be like. This is only a suggestion, it is your summer university and ultimately your toolkit, and you are free to develop it however you see fit. After completing the various questions you should jointly develop the toolkit. The toolkit might be only a well illustrated manual, or a “How To” Guide. In any case it should 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 this summer university work?]
[wiki:flosscom/FLOSSCharacteristics What are the FLOSS Characteristics?]
[wiki:flosscom/MotivationToParticipate What is the motivation to participate in FLOSS?]
[wiki:flosscom/RolesInFLOSS What are the roles in FLOSS?]
[wiki:flosscom/WhatDoesFLOSSLearningFeelLike What does FLOSS learning feel like?]
[wiki:flosscom/HowIsFLOSSLearningDifferentFromNormalEducation How is FLOSS learning different from ‘normal’ education?]
[wiki:flosscom/LearningResources What are the Learning Resources in FLOSS, and who builds them?]
[wiki:flosscom/FlossTechnology Which technology is applied in FLOSS, and what for?]
[wiki:flosscom/FLOSSSupportSystem What is the FLOSS support system?]
[wiki:flosscom/AssessmentEvaluation Is there any assessment and evaluation in FLOSS?]
[wiki:flosscom/CaseStudies Are there any case studies on Learning in FLOSS?]
[wiki:flosscom/FlossBusinessModels Are there any possible Business Models for FLOSS-like education?]
[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.
FLOSS Learning Toolkit
Once the set of questions has been completed we all should have a working knowledge on how a toolkit could look like and what it would need to have to be of use to others
All of the discourse and reflection on answering the set of questions should become part of this “Learning the Open Source Way” toolkit. The toolkit (e.g. a manual, or set of guidelines) should allow anyone who wants to create an educational course to adopt some open source principles.
[wiki:flosscom/ToolKit The FLOSS Learning Toolkit]
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.
You also could join one of our [wiki:flosscom/talks (flash) meetings and talks, or re-listen to it here]
Certificate Design Contest
Remember: All those of you who participate at this Virtual & On-Campus Summer University will receive an e-certificate in the name of all FLOSSCom project partners of having participated in the project.
We would like to make this certificate as meaningful as possible so it adds a value to your CV and therefore decided to launch a [wiki:flosscom/certificate certificate design contest].
Surveys
Surveys are one mean of doing research. Since the objective of the FLOSSCom project is to gain a better understanding on FLOSS communities as learning environments we developed a set of surveys, which we will publish here over the time.
A list of our current survey is available [wiki:flosscom/surveys here].
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.
FLOSSCom and Ubuntu Education
The Virtual and On-Campus Summer University is a joint event that is collaboratively carried out by the FLOSSCom project partners and Ubuntu Education.
It is our common goal to advance education, to leverage lessons learnt from the Open Source sphere, to combine them with modern pedagogical approaches and to foster interaction of the different stakeholders within open source and education.
Summer University Partners
Institutional partner and Organizations that participate at this Virtual and On-Campus Summer University you will find [wiki:flosscom/Partner here.]
Organizational Aspects
Organizational aspects on the summer university.
[wiki:flosscom/Actions Actions] to be taken to improve the structure of the summer university.
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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.