Technology Enhanced Learning: Part 3 of 3 - Can Free Open Source Software (FOSS) successfully replace any proprietary software used by teachers?

Note: This blog was first published on my LinkedIn account

There are many FOSS based software applications which could replace some of the current (probably older version) proprietary software used in schools, colleges and universities. Read on...

As teachers, it is important to ensure that we focus on the learning outcomes which we extracted from the programme specification. The scheme of work and individual lesson plans are then constructed to ensure that the students have the best opportunity to achieve the best grade they are capable of.

I feel it is important to note that I have never seen a programme specification state that a certain software package(s) must be used. However, I have spoken to many teachers who believe and indeed promote that certain software must be used. A popular example that is quoted to me is Adobe Photoshop as it is the market leader. This may be the market leader (for now) but purchasing a campus licence for the school, college or university will be expensive. The purchase of the licence could also risk adding an additional cost to the student if it is considered necessary for them to purchase the software for completing homework and/or a flipped classroom scenario.

My main concern with using proprietary software are two fold:
1] Using expensive software increases the risk of developing a digital divide (the haves and have nots).
2] Is it wise for the teaching profession to be seen to promote a particular product?

By focusing on the actual requirements of the programme specifications it is very likely that a free and open source alternative can be identified which will ensure that all the learning outcomes are met. For example the FOSS based software product 'GIMP' is likely to be a suitable alternative to Adobe Photoshop and has the benefit of working on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux which ensures that the educational organisation and the student can have the same (latest) version at no cost.

I have been using FOSS in education and indeed business since 2004 and have significantly reduced my reliance on proprietary software.

The following screen-shots are taken from my own laptop/PC (I have the same software on both) which I hope will give you an insight into possible alternative software solutions. Please note that for every piece of software shown there are further FOSS alternatives available in the Software Centre (see Ubuntu Software Centre below). There are over 78,000 FOSS based software available and therefore you will find alternative Music players/ Office software etc which you may prefer to use instead of the selection I am showing below. 

The following are screen-shots starting at the top of my most used software programmes:

Searching:

The HUD (head up display) is activated by Pressing the 'Windows button' or clicking on the top left Icon (highlighted) a head up display is presented which is used to quickly search for applications and files on the computer as well as searching the Internet at the same time. Please note that normal PC based searching is also provided in the file manager system as shown below.

File manager

Typical file manager system. Normal computer based searches can be performed to find 'forgotten' files.

Browser

I use both Firefox and Chrome but others are available.

Email and calendar etc

Thunderbird and Lightning is a fully functioning email, calendar, tasks, Feeds, Newsgroups, Chat:Twitter/IRC/XMPP/Yahoo/Google Talk

Cloud folders



I use Dropbox to ensure I can access particular files (mainly teaching content) from any device anywhere in the world. It is also useful as an additional automatic backup device for my teaching content. 

 Office

Fully functioning Office suite (Libre Office) which works with Window office files such as Word etc.

Music player

I use Rhythmbox. I also use this as a (mainly BBC) podcast repository.

Music ripper

Rhythmbox does not have a ripper function and therefore I use Sound Juicer. There are other music players available which includes a ripper function.

Screen capture

Kazam is a powerful screen capture (video and screen-shot) application. I used this for capturing the screen-shots shown here. I also use it to record video based teaching content.

 Video editor

Openshot is a powerful video editor application. I use this to edit my teaching content videos.

Media player

VLC is a must have software application.This media player will play just about every file format available including streaming. It will also allow you to render a video into another format. If this media player can't play your file then I suspect no player will be able to.

Vector Graphics

Inkscape is a powerful vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X.

Raster Graphics

GIMP provides sophisticated tools for the photographer, illustrator and graphic designer. GIMP is similar to Adobe Photoshop.

3D animation

Blender is a powerful animator, games and video creation application. View this page to see a few demos.

Scanner

Simple Scan is just that... simple. The above image displays the front of a magazine and it is so simple and quick I use it every week to reduce the amount of paper I have store.

 Calculator

The Calculator application has a basic, advanced, financial and programming mode. The image above is displaying the advance mode.

Virtual Machine

Virtualbox is a powerful application which allows me to run a computer inside the computer. The link (Virtualbox)  shows computers running inside a Linux computer, but it is just as easy to load Virtualbox on your Windows PC/laptop and run a Linux or another Windows computer.

System

The System application allows the user to set-up printers and adjust computer settings such as auto-backups and desktop functions.

Ubuntu software centre

The Ubuntu Software Centre enables anyone of the 78,000 plus application to be installed and removed as necessary.

Multidesk

Workspace Switcher allows 4 computer screens on one physical screen. The screen-shot above shows different applications running on different screens. The user would click on which screen they wish to work on and then easily move to and from different screens as necessary.

System Monitor

This application allows the user to view specific processors to monitor performance or help diagnose a problem.

I hope the above screen-shots have provided you with an insight into the possibilities of using FOSS based software applications. Please visit part 1 of 3 and 2 of 3 for further examples of FOSS in education.

There are many software applications such as Inkscape, GIMP, Libre Office and Blender which work on Windows, Apple and Linux. If education (and businesses) wish to reduce their costs and reduce the risk of increasing the digital divide then they should consider looking at the programme specifications to see whether FOSS could replace the current (probably older version)  proprietary software, and save expense which is unnecessary for the school, college or university and of course the students.

Therefore I believe that Free Open Source Software (FOSS) can successfully replace many propriety software applications used by teachers.

Technology Enhanced Learning: Part 2 of 3 - Can Free Open Source Software (FOSS) successfully replace any proprietary software used by teachers?

Note: First published on 17th July 2016 via my LinkedIn account

The chart below clearly shows that Windows has the largest market share of desktop operating systems. The next contender is (Apple) Mac at 8%. These two proprietary software providers supply 98% of the desktop operating systems used today.

Source: www.netmarketshare.com
However, I do suspect that this pie chart will be changing over the next few years as the little red sliver named Linux is already building up to take 2% of the market share. Linux is free and open source software (FOSS) and therefore, not proprietary.

This 'new boy on the block' is starting to have an impact on three fronts:
1) Multiple user interfaces available... as Linux is not a whole operating system, it is the kernel. Other FOSS software is combined with the kernel to produce what are known as distributions or 'distros'. There are a number of distros which emulate the Windows and Apple user interfaces such as shown here... http://zorinos.com/gallery.html.2) Education establishments and businesses are starting to realise that older PCs and laptops can be rejuvenated by installing a Linux based operating system instead of destroying working equipment that has just slowed up or won't cope with an upgrade to the next Windows operating system.
3) The Chrome OS (which also use Linux) is the operating system powering Chromebooks. These light and powerful laptops are increasingly being used by students and teachers in many education establishments.

My distribution of choice is Ubuntu which uses a very friendly user interface named Unity. A screen-shot of my desktop is shown below:

Ubuntu also has over 78,000 free software packages which can be downloaded and installed through their simple to use software centre tool. The categories listed include: Accessories, Developer Tools, Education, Fonts, Games, Graphics, Internet, Office, Science & Engineering, Sound, video and Themes & Tweaks. I will be exploring some of these software packages in my next posting.

Many distros have their own specialisms/visions and Ubuntu is no different; as Ubuntu's own vision is to provide a single software platform that runs across smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. It is designed to help make converged computing a reality: one system, one experience, multiple form factors. I can personally see how one interface that works on all my computer based equipment (including smart TVs) would save time, but the creative side of me would also like to tweak it to my own preferences. I guess this is why I have been attracted to using Linux based distros since 2004 as I feel I can have the best of both worlds.

Ubuntu operates at its best when installed on a modern high specification machine, such as provided by Dell. However I will be providing tutorials on how to:

• 'Test drive' Ubuntu without fully installing it.
• Install Ubuntu alongside your normal Windows installation, so you have a choice of which operating system you use when first switch your PC on.
• Carry out a full Ubuntu installation on an older PC or a brand new PC which you may have just built using the latest hardware.

Please don't under estimate the impact Linux is having on computer based equipment, for example the Android operating system which is powering phones and tablets is also based on Linux. It is clear to me that Linux has proven it is a strong, stable and robust force which provides the power behind many operating systems like Ubuntu, Android, Chrome OS and many others. 

Therefore I believe that Free Open Source Software (FOSS) can successfully replace the operating system on PCs/Laptops used by teachers!

Note:
My first post (1 of 3) explored how FOSS provides a successful VLE (Moodle).

This post (2 of 3) explores whether FOSS can successfully provide a replacement for a proprietary desktop PC/laptop operating system.

The final post (3 of 3) will explore whether FOSS can successfully replace any proprietary software applications used on a desktop PC/laptop.

Technology Enhanced Learning: Part 1 of 3 - Can Free Open Source Software (FOSS) successfully replace any proprietary software used by teachers?

Please note: First published on 6th June via my LinkIn account

FOSS also known as Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) has become more main stream over the last few years as the educational sectors utilised the advantages provided by FOSS.

FOSS is normally free 'as in beer', but more importantly the code is free as in 'freedom'. This means that the software code is not hidden and therefore allows educational establishments to modify the existing computer programme to provide a particular function and/or to ensure it can interoperate with current and future systems thereby reducing the risk of 'lock-in' to proprietary software.

The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) 'Moodle' is an example of FOSS and many educational establishments use it as their VLE,  including the Open University (OU). Although almost all FOSS software is built by a community of interested parties, the community of practice which has built up around Moodle is impressive. The Open University (OU) has utilised the openness of the code to build bespoke plugins for their own use. The OU has honoured the copyright (sometimes known as copyleft) licence and has made the plugins (code) available for everyone.

I have used this post (1 of 3) to provide an example of where FOSS provides a successful VLE. Moodle is a server based VLE which is accessed using a modern browser such as Firefox (another FOSS product) or via an app on a smart phone (Android is another FOSS product). The operating system which powers the server can be proprietary, but Moodle will operate just as well on Linux (another FOSS product). Linux is powering more and more servers and devices across the world and this link provides a list of 30 big companies and devices currently running on Linux.

The next post (2 of 3) will explore whether FOSS can successfully provide a replacement for a proprietary desktop PC/laptop operating system. The final post (3 of 3) will explore whether FOSS can successfully replace any proprietary software applications used on a desktop PC/laptop.

Note: This post uses information from a small research project I carried out in 2009. The title of the non-published paper is, 'Critical Evaluation of the Barriers to Using FOSS (Free
& Open Source Software) in One College'. The non-published paper is available by clicking here

Is it now time that we teachers controlled our own learning technology?

Note: First published on 1st June 2016 via my LinkedIn account 

 I started teaching in March 1989 and at that time it was expected that administrators/secretaries wrote my letters and typed up my hand written learning material.  With the introduction of PCs in the staff room, typing my own letters and learning material soon became the norm.

During the last 27 years information technology (IT) has had a massive impact on teaching and learning. The use of technology enhanced learning (TEL) has become embedded to some degree in every subject taught in schools, colleges, training centres, universities and other educational establishments.

I believe it is now time that I start to loosen my reliance on the IT support team just as I reduced my reliance on administrators and secretaries 27 years ago and learned to use the PC/laptop/tablet/mobile phone and internet server to not only produce my learning materials (as I am currently doing) but manage and support my own IT infrastructure.

I will blog my journey and hope that it will generate a true 'community of practice' as Etienne Wenger (1998) model describes. I hope that together we can develop a shared repertoire of resources, tools, experience to help to solve (recurring?) problems and become a shared practice.

Reference:
Wenger, E. (1998) COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: LEARNING, MEANING AND IDENTITY. New York: Cambridge University Press

Introducing Linux...

Introducing Linux...

The Linux operating system is sensational, free as in beer and freedom. Did you know that Google, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and the New York Stock Exchange are just a few examples of everyday names that use Linux. 

Linux (Ubuntu) is my operating system of choice as it is stable, secure and extremely fast. How did I come to use Linux... through overcoming the challenges of embedding technology enhanced learning into my teaching. 

My next post will discuss the 'comfort triangle' and how it can be used to help teachers and IT professionals to find an improved level of synergy and therefore work more effectively through a better understanding of the challenges each profession face. 

Education as a business in the new learning paradigm - repost

I am currently linking my Blogger posts to my current social networking environments. Please use this post to visit my blog called:

 Technology Enhanced Learning http://tel-paulfloss.blogspot.co.uk/

This post was first published on Thursday, 5th September 2013

Education as a business in the new learning paradigm

This is the working title for my Phd proposal. Why have I chosen this title... well it is based on my experience of two areas of my working life:

1. Managing both private and public businesses
2. Appreciating the impact technology is having on the learning experience

My main focus in point 1 will be the 'hidden factory'. Most companies will have a hidden factory working very hard behind the scenes unless they are using tools and techniques such as Six Sigma. 

I define the hidden factory as all the additional processes required to ensure an imperfect system works. A simple example could be a report where data is not automatically available and personnel work have to 'cut and paste' from differing information systems to build spreadsheets that can be configured to produce (flawed?) data/information. Two earlier blog entries (part 1 and part 2) provide an example of the possible costs of a very simple hidden factory. Considering that most businesses are very complex, a hidden factory is likely to be a significant cost and one which must be removed. There is also a moral dimension to consider... any business considering making redundancies must be comfortable that it is not because of they have a hidden factory.

 So how can a business find out if they have a hidden factory? The first step is to understand all the processes that the business has then refine them to be as efficient as possible. Finally, use technology to automate as many steps as possible, this includes reports and data.

Teachers and educators also need to understand the data available (Including non-electronic). Google has designed a course called 'Making Sense of Data'. you can preview and register by clicking  https://datasense.withgoogle.com/course

The need to understand data is becoming main stream. It is no longer the domain of specialists as this TED video http://www.ted.com/talks/andreas_schleicher_use_data_to_build_better_schools.html explains.

Please do contact me if my working title is of interest, especially if you are already exploring this area. Although I have never been in a position to start a Phd, I am extremely interested in 'education as a business', especially in blended learning using MOOC style learning paradigms.

Please do comment on any aspect of my past and future posts.

Paul

Education as a business in the new learning paradigm

I am currently linking my Blogger posts to my current social networking environments. Please use this post to visit my blog called:

 Technology Enhanced Learning http://tel-paulfloss.blogspot.co.uk/

This post was first published on Thursday, 5th September 2013
Education as a business in the new learning paradigm

This is the working title for my Phd proposal. Why have I chosen this title... well it is based on my experience of two areas of my working life:

1. Managing both private and public businesses
2. Appreciating the impact technology is having on the learning experience

My main focus in point 1 will be the 'hidden factory'. Most companies will have a hidden factory working very hard behind the scenes unless they are using tools and techniques such as Six Sigma. 

I define the hidden factory as all the additional processes required to ensure an imperfect system works. A simple example could be a report where data is not automatically available and personnel work have to 'cut and paste' from differing information systems to build spreadsheets that can be configured to produce (flawed?) data/information. Two earlier blog entries (part 1 and part 2) provide an example of the possible costs of a very simple hidden factory. Considering that most businesses are very complex, a hidden factory is likely to be a significant cost and one which must be removed. There is also a moral dimension to consider... any business considering making redundancies must be comfortable that it is not because of they have a hidden factory.

 So how can a business find out if they have a hidden factory? The first step is to understand all the processes that the business has then refine them to be as efficient as possible. Finally, use technology to automate as many steps as possible, this includes reports and data.

Teachers and educators also need to understand the data available (Including non-electronic). Google has designed a course called 'Making Sense of Data'. you can preview and register by clicking  https://datasense.withgoogle.com/course

The need to understand data is becoming main stream. It is no longer the domain of specialists as this TED video http://www.ted.com/talks/andreas_schleicher_use_data_to_build_better_schools.html explains.

Please do contact me if my working title is of interest, especially if you are already exploring this area. Although I have never been in a position to start a Phd, I am extremely interested in 'education as a business', especially in blended learning using MOOC style learning paradigms.

Please do comment on any aspect of my past and future posts.

Paul