On Mon, Jul 29, 2002 at 04:35:02PM +1000, Ann Moffatt wrote: > jeff waugh wrote > "What sort of strategies do you suggest for educating the DoE, both at the > bureaucratic and teaching levels, Jon? We need to get cracking on our side > to encourage this (worthy) goal." > > first, we need to educate board members and senior exec on technology > issues. as the only technology literate member of the board of nsw tafe for > the 2 years i served on that board i spent a considerable amount of time & > energy bringing other board membs & senior exec up to speed on technology > issues.
part of this can be done by coming up with a list of advantages of open source software, both general advantages and specifically educational advantages. each point on the list should be a simple, easily understood concept of one short sentence. it should then be backed up with explanation and wherever possible, real-life examples (esp. examples within the education sector). as i see it, there are two main types of advantages relevant to schools. the first i'll call "Economic and Administrative". the second is "educational". just off the top of my head, here are some starting entries... Economic and Administrative Reasons: 1. open source software costs less #1 (explanation and examples about reduced (zero) cost of software) 2. open source software costs less #2 (expl. and examples about reduced cost of hardware - e.g. linux runs well on older, cheaper machines) 3. less money spent on software means more is available for other uses e.g. books, teacher salaries, equipment, maintainence, etc etc etc. 4. OSS avoids licensing problems (e.g. got a new machine? no problem, just install linux with no need to worry about whether you have enough licenses) 5. OSS is tamper-proof (eg a classroom full of linux machines is inherently "locked-down", preventing students from installing viruses and games, or over-riding security controls. anyone who's worked with a class full of windows machines knows that's next to impossible with windows, requiring frequent reinstalls of each workstation) 6. OSS principles can be applied to courseware development schools can share the electronic courseware they've developed with each other & improve on it. refer back to Mac's HyperCard from the late 1980s - this program was an amazing hit with teachers and schools all over the world. Hypercard itself wasn't open-source, but many of the courseware applications created with it were. as well as sharing individual pieces of courseware, schools can group together to fund development of shared material. Educational Reasons: 1. students get to learn how computers actually work (e.g. linux users are not treated with a patronising contempt that assumes they're too stupid/ignorant to understand the machines they work with) this is an extremely important point - a closed box that nobody is allowed to understand teaches students to become dependant lackeys. 2. OSS teaches collaboration and co-operation on larger projects it also provides a compelling example to students that such efforts CAN produce significant and worthwhile results. 3. OSS allows access to cutting-edge research software most software developed in universities for research purposes is available only for unix. the software embodies many of the principles being taught in class. this is particularly appropriate for science, engineering, and other "technology"-related courses. i've written about as much as i have time for today.....the above will have to do for a start. note: this list is public domain. feel free to use, add to, delete from, or change - with or without attribution. > [...] most think the average tech head is a smart arse who just wants > to spend money on trinkets & toys!! most open-source advocates like to promote the idea that you can do a lot more with a lot less. why waste thousands on software when that money would be better spent on hardware, or on more general school/academic expenses (books and salaries rather than software)? craig -- craig sanders <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Fabricati Diem, PVNC. -- motto of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group - http://slug.org.au/ More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug
