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Open source for learning

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I'm Harold Jarche, an independent consultant based in Atlantic Canada. I'm interested in the development of sustainable businesses and communities and...  (more...)

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This lens is focused on free and open source software and content for learning applications. To encourage learning, you don't have to spend a lot on the technology. It's more important to focus on getting the people and processes aligned so that learning happens.

Save the money that you would spend on an expensive web-based system and put it into the time to let people develop processes that work for their unique contexts. Open source allows you to do just that.

Photo: Public horse trough, Sackville, NB 

My Recommendations 

Open source applications that I've used for learning contexts

Elgg
for informal web-enabled learning where the learner is the centre of it all
Moodle
a constructivist web environment for more formal learning with a great worldwide community
ATutor
a web-based learning system designed for accessibility and with a number of easy to add modules, such as collaboration..
Gimp
An open source image manipulation program similar to Adobe Illustrator(R). An excellent tool for editing photographs.
Open Office
An excellent office productvity suite without the hassle of additional licenses when you need to add users or extra machines. Open Office has a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and slide show creator that can import/export in most major formats including Microsoft Office(R), WordPerfect(R), Macromedia Flash(R), and Adobe Acrobat(R).

Open Source Learning Links 

Open Source Bookmarks
Web bookmarks on the subject of open source that have been saved on a searchable and shareable database on Ma.gnolia.
IncSub
James Farmer's social software and open source for learning
FLOSSE Posse
Free/Libre and Open Source Software in Education
OS Course Management Systems
Comparison of open source course management systems by Edutools.info
Free Online Education Links
Annotated links posted by Christopher Sessums
Moodle Bug
Josie Fraser offers advice, support and services around the recommended Moodle system.
Curverider
David Tosh and his team offer professional services related to the recommended Elgg Learning Landscape system.
IT Conversations - Open Source
Audio files on open source topics
EduForge Learning Resources
Extensive list of resources, including blogs, wikis, journals, associations, portals, etc. covering open source and open content in education.
Open Academic
OpenAcademic provides turnkey hosting packages, transfer service, and custom development for Moodle, Elgg, Drupal, OpenID & MediaWiki.
FOSS for OER
UNESCO's wiki - FOSS solutions for Open Educational Resources

Harold on Open Source and other stuff 

Go directly to my posts under the Open Source category

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Reference Articles 

If you want to dig deeper

Seeking an Educational Commons
Abstract: Seeking an educational commons: The promise of open source development models by Gary Hepburn

Schools are hindered by cost and flexibility problems as they try to obtain resources such as software and textbooks. Open source development processes are producing products that can address many of these problems and, as importantly, provide a better alignment with core educational values. Indeed, open source products potentially encourage the development of an educational commons.
MIT Open Courseware Initiative
This is MIT's free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. The Creative Commons licence allows for attributed use for non-commercial purposes.
The potential of open source approaches for education
This paper [from FutureLab in the UK] discusses some of the potential ways in which the approaches that characterise FLOSS [free, libre open source software] might be applied in educational contexts; specifically, whether they can act as a model for education in:

* offering new approaches to teaching and learning, specifically enabling personalised learning and enhanced learner voice
* enabling knowledge sharing and collaboration between teachers
* overcoming structural divides between developers of educational software and its users.

Open Source Bookmarks 

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Hi, I'm hjarche

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I'm Harold Jarche, an independent consultant based in Atlantic Canada. I'm interested in the development of sustainable businesses and communities and view open source as a vehicle to enable small organisations to achieve large goals. My professional work is centered on the business and performance aspects of learning, especially informal and workplace learning. I'm passionate about learning, and have been lucky to be able to create a business around one of my passions. I also have a passion for cycling and good wine, usually in that order.

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