Open-source technology is defined by its dimensions of transparency and freedom. This type of software is produced by a growing community and has begun to compete with and complement commercial products in both K-12 and higher education settings.
Key Characteristics of Open-source Technology
The core characteristics of open-source technology include:
- Free Use and Acquisition: Anyone is free to use open-source software without the need to purchase the right to install it [1 source technology include:
- Free Use and Acquisition: Anyone is free to use open-source software without the need to purchase the right to install it. Platforms for online learning from open-source communities can be obtained and installed at no cost to the user. This characteristic, in particular, makes open-source tools ostensibly appealing to school and technology leaders in rural communities because of the minimal costs.
- Transparency: Transparency allows users to access and modify the original works.
- Freedom: Freedom means users can use the products without the need to purchase or license the work. More importantly, freedom entails the rights to create and distribute derivative works.
The software used in the projects described in the sources is published and licensed under various agreements, such as the GNU General Public License, the Apache License, Version 2.0, or the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, all of which align with the dimensions of transparency and freedom.
Application in Educational Settings
The technology used to deliver online learning, including open-source platforms, can be adapted to address many problems faced by educators and school leaders.
Examples of open-source tools successfully deployed in rural communities to support teaching and learning include:
- Moodle: This is an open-source learning management system (LMS) that is widely used in both K-12 and higher education. It was adopted by one school to replace a proprietary LMS because the free version they were using had limited functions and lacked support, leading to data loss. Moodle was also used in other districts to create online classrooms for teachers to support professional learning and collaborative curriculum development, such as project-based learning or integrating new hardware like Chromebooks.
- Mahara: This is an open-sourceportfolio platform that was installed and configured alongside Moodle to create a single online space where students’ work could flow easily between the online classroom and the online portfolio system.
- Jitsi: This is an open-source video conferencing platform that was deployed by one school alliance to facilitate synchronous distance learning, specifically to resolve issues with unclear visual and audio transmission and lack of two-way communication experienced with a proprietary video chat tool.
Challenges and Acceptance in Rural Communities
Despite the advantage of minimal cost, the sources note that rural schools are less likely than suburban and urban schools to use open-source tools to manage information and promote learning.
A major factor affecting the successful deployment and sustainability of open-source technology is the need for sufficient technical expertise.
- Configuration and Support: Open-source solutions require technical expertise for initial installation, configuration, and ongoing support, which is often limited in rural areas due to budgetary constraints and staffing difficulties.
- Risk of Abandonment: If the person responsible for configuring the open-source system leaves, the project is at risk of being abandoned if an error occurs that others lack the expertise to fix.
However, when open-source technology is deployed effectively, it is often achieved through a collaborative and iterative process. Effective solutions result from systems that are properly configured by those with technical expertise and appropriately configured to reflect the needs of teachers and learners. The process of using open-source tools in a collaborative and iterative manner can lead educators to become more sophisticated users of technology.
Open-source technology can be thought of as a community cookbook: the basic ingredients (the software) are free for anyone to use and share, and the recipes (the code) are transparent so you can see exactly how they work and even tweak them. But just like a cookbook, you still need someone with the knowledge and time (technical expertise) to gather the ingredients and skillfully prepare the final dish (configure the system) to make sure it feeds (supports) the entire community effectively.