Open Source Schools
Open Source Schools has evolved from among a community of educators and technologists who want to share their knowledge, experience and insights of using open source software in education. It is both a community of open source practitioners and a website.
Open source software enshrines the notion of freedom in the use of software – free to use, to copy and to redistribute to as many computers as needed. And, with access to the ‘source code’, users can study how the program works and adapt or improve it. This is in contrast to proprietary software with its often complex end-user licence agreements.
Open Source Schools began life in summer 2008 as a two year project funded by Becta and managed by AlphaPlus. The funding enabled us to set up a website and run a number of face to face events to spread the word about the how schools and practitioners are using open source software.
The website provides a rich source of information about open source software contributed by members of the community. This includes insights and experiences about the benefits and challenges of using open source set out in case studies, articles and blog posts and through discussion in the forums. There is also a directory of open source applications.
During the first year of the project, the developer of the OpenEducationDisc joined the community. This disc, now published as a DVD, is a compendium of open source software designed to offer teachers and students an easy way to do school work inside and outside school without having to pay license fees or turn to piracy. Open Source Schools distributed this disc at all its face to face events. More information about the disc can be found here.
During the academic year 2009/2010 we held a number of successful events in collaboration with teachers, technicians, Local Authority personnel and our friends from Open Forum Europe. By the end of the year we had a strong impression that the message about the benefits of open source, both for supporting teaching and learning and as a better way of managing increasingly scarce resources, was beginning to be heard.
The voluntary community
In response to the changing educational landscape post the election and post Becta, Open Source Schools began to make new plans to ensure that the community's message and support would continue to be available.
A number of core community members were invited to a meeting in June 2010 to develop an action plan for the future. These members include four senior secondary school staff, a senior Local Authority manager and an open source service provider, as well as the community manager, Miles Berry, who is senior lecturer in ICT at Roehampton University.
This informal steering group agreed to work together on a voluntary basis and a number of tasks were identified. For its part, AlphaPlus continues to host the website and to make funds available to support the work of the community in these early stages.
While the main target audience in the early stages of the project was agreed to be teachers, in the light of the changing educational landscape, the steering group has shifted the focus to senior leaders. Following the withdrawal of the Harnessing Technology Grant and the reduction in support from Local Authorities, combined with the development of academies and free schools, IT strategies and funding are under close review.
There was a seminar at BETT 2011 on 13 January during which a whole school approach to a blended use of open source and proprietary software was illustrated (video is here). The key issue of funding is addressed in this extract. A slide show of the whole set of presentations and the videos can be found on the Open Source Website.
A conference for senior leaders was held in April 2011, designed to show how using open source can not only save money, but provide greater flexibility and responsiveness in the way ICT is used. The conference had the support of SSAT, in particular the ICT Register which has noted a significant increase in interest and use of open source software in schools. The steering group is currently in discussion with SSAT with a view to future collaborative activities.
