Open Source Software Implementations in K-12 Education

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Open Source Software Implementations in K-12
Education

• Seymour Hanfling
• Basha Krasnoff
• Northwest Educational Technology Consortium
• at
• Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
• www.netc.org/openoptions
• with thanks to Kym Buchanan, who developed
  OpenOptions

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IntroductionWhy did we do this project?

• NETC/NWREL provides information technical
  assistance
• Starting about 5 years ago we received questions
  about free software Linux
• 2002 brought software licensing audit requests to
  schools budget shortfalls more questions
  about open source software open courseware
• Research and survey, Sept. 2002 July 2003
• Updates, Feb. 2004 July 2004

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The Open Options Web site...www.netc.org/openopti
ons
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Agenda

• Introduction / Your Needs
• What is open source? (if needed)
• Is it right for you?
• Needs goals
• Capacity
• Leadership planning
• Support
• Change morale
• Conclusion

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What do you want to know?

• How many of you already know about Open Source?
• How many of you are already using Open Source?
  What are you using?
• How many of you need to explain Open Source to
  others?

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What is open source?

• Two kinds of software
• Proprietary
• Open source
• Open source software is any computer program with
  accessible source code. Anyone can change or
  share any open source program for free (legally
  technically) .

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Most people use proprietary software

• Proprietary cant open hood, not clear what
  happens, cant change it
• Open source can open hood, can see what happens,
  can change it

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Open source is like...

• Changing sharing curriculum
• Education resources
• Learning Leading with Technology, May 2003
• Changing sharing cooking recipes
• Experimenting
• Improving
• Customizing
• Philosophically makes sense to educators

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Open source is community-driven
community-serving

• Many programmers are corporate employees, but the
  community thrives on volunteers
• Non-programmers help by filing bug reports,
  writing documentation, or answering questions on
  email lists
• Current users in K-12 report a sense of belonging
  cooperation

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Why should you care?

• Software is constantly being improved updated
• Proprietary - only the company can make change
• Open source - anyone can make changes open
  process

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Examples

• Mozilla
• Dansquardian, Squidguard
• Spam Assassin
• OpenOffice.org
• The GIMP
• Moodle
• Apache
• MySQL
• Linux

• Web browser
• Web Filtering
• e-mail Filtering
• Office suite
• Image editor
• Course Management
• Web server
• Database
• Operating system

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Were using open source for this presentation

• Created in MS Office 2002
• on MS Windows 2000 Pro
• Updated in MS Office XP
• and OpenOffice.org
• Running in OpenOffice.org

BestBuy.com, 6/18/03
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Why / Why Not?

• Why?
• Cost/ License
• Quality
• Security
• Modularity
• Independence
• Community

• Why not?
• Cost
• Legacy issues
• Migration
• Specific applications
• Uncertain future

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Dont use open source, unless...

• Good needs assessment
• Thorough planning
• Stakeholder involvement
• Administrators
• Teachers, staff
• Students, parents
• Community, etc.
• Aware of the implications

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Needs goals

• What technology do you actually need to support
  learning goals your staff, your students?
• Do your needs or goals demand a specific,
  proprietary solution?
• Are you trying to support advanced curricula in
  technology?
• Are you trying to foster awareness of the larger
  issues in technology?

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Lower cost?
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The salient issue is expertise
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Capacity

• Are you willing and able to search for solutions
  rather than buy them?
• Would you rather buy certainty or invest in
  capacity?
• If you lose an important staff member, will you
  have a backup? Or does your technology
  infrastructure stop functioning?

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Open source makes license management easier

• Install any number of copies
• No risk of illegal copies or license audits
• No anti-piracy measures (e.g. CD keys, product
  activation)
• Doesn't eliminate software management, of course

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Open source is a compromise

• Why you should understand about software licenses
• Sustainability
• Risks
• Philosophy
• A license represents values rights

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Open source is a compromise
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Open source is a compromise
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Advice about licenses

• Licenses govern tech (delivery) not content
• Content is never in jeopardy
• Most licenses arent viral dont bleed
• Visit the Open Source Initiative
• www.opensource.org

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Exception Courseware

• Blurs the content / delivery distinction
• Be careful if you want to market

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Open source can be more customized

• Tailor software to needs
• On the backend extraordinary power to customize
  any aspect of a network (e.g. firewalls, spam
  filtering, email filtering)
• Current users in K-12 see significant benefits
  from others' access and customizing

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Proprietary formats lead tovendor lock in.

• Lock in dependence on a specific program from a
  specific vendor
• Example Microsoft Word .doc format
• Curricula or data lock in is risky

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Mature enough? Yes

• Some open source software has 15 years of
  development
• Example Linux is the most popular operating
  system
• Linux is based upon Unix
• Unix has 25 years of development
• Adopted by government agencies outside U.S.

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Sustainable? Yes

• Business government are choosing open source
• Software companies are creating supporting open
  source (e.g. IBM, Sun, HP)
• Exception Microsoft vigorously opposes open
  source
• Thriving subpopulation of educators

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Business government choosingopen source

• Amazon.com
• Credit Suisse First Boston
• E-Trade
• Goldman Sachs
• Merrill Lynch
• Morgan Stanley

• Australia
• China
• Germany
• Mexico
• Peru
• Venezuela
• Israel

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Schools are not in the software business

• Software is created improved for business
  government
• Free to download
• May be a windfall for schools
• Many programs run under Microsoft Windows or
  Apple Macintosh
• Users can experiment migrate slowly
• May meet some needs immediately

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K-12 users are more familiar comfortable with
proprietary software. 

• New software (or new version) has a learning
  curve
• Some open source software mimics proprietary
  software
• Some open source is user hostile
• Remember does it meet teaching learning needs?

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Leadership planning

• Can you convene a tech planning committee with
  diverse, open-minded stakeholders?
• Are you willing and able to consider and
  experiment with several solutions?
• Can you incubate an open source solution long
  enough to evaluate its actual effectiveness?
• Are you willing to re-plan and use data to make
  changes?
• Can you build or shift capacity over time?

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Support

• Can you maintain or build capacity for support?
• Will your technology staff be willing and able to
  get help from the community?
• Can you risk depending on the open source
  community for help or do you need more certainty?

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Support (contd)

• Can you afford training?
• Will your advanced users be willing and able to
  help other users?
• Are some educators already using open source, at
  work or at home?

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Change morale

• Have you recently made major changes in
  technology?
• Will you be making major changes soon?
• Are you struggling with budget limitations?

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Change morale (contd)

• Are you able and willing to experiment?
• Do your stakeholders crave some short-term
  success in technology integration?
• Will your needs and goals compel stakeholders to
  endure hardships and adjust to new solutions?

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The total cost of open source is lower.
Maybe

• TCO Total cost of ownership
• TCO is complex not always easy to measure

http//www.netc.org/openoptions/images/jpg/map_tco
.jpg
Current OSS users believe TCO is lower,
especially on the backend
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Focus on your stakeholders

• Develop proof of concept first
• Backend or Frontend
• Transparency
• Review total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Use the Open Options site
• www.netc.org/openoptions
• Independent tools for educators
• See Appendices at www.netc.org/openoptions
• For example Adapt the sample memos

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Can open source help you?
http//www.netc.org/openoptions/appendices/handout
s.html
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Before moving on to survey results...

• Do you have questions or comments?

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What are educators using?

• Online surveys
• Nov 2002 - Feb 2003 (85 responses)
• March April 2004 (75 responses)
• Interviews and Site Visits (survey 1)
• General research literature review
• Complete results of second survey will be posted
  at www.netc.org/openoptions
• Following results are from recent survey

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Who Responded?

• Equal representation from schools districts
• Serve student populations of 2000 or more
• Districts rural (42), suburban (40), urban
  (19)
• Those who work for schools serve student
  populations of 100-499 students, most work for
  high schools

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Who (contd)

• 54 don't teach students 46 do
• 57 have administrative responsibilities 88
  choose software for other people's desktop
  computers

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What are they using?

• K12LTSP Linux labs runing productivity tools
  and browsers for state testing
• On the backend, 85 using functions like Web
  hosting filtering, email, operating sys.
• Linux in various flavors
• 73 use recycled hardware
• Rely on list servs, community Web sites news
  blogs for advice support

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What (contd)

• 75 use open source operating systems for their
  own desktop computers
• 67 using it 3 years professionally
• 53 are using open source thin clients for their
  stakeholders

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What percentage of the solutions are open source?

• 2003
  2004
• Server operating system 40 59
• Desktop operating system 15 26
• Backend solutions 57 61
• Frontend solutions 20 37

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Why do they choose it?

• Backend
• Reliability 97
• Security 95
• Price 93
• Desirable features 91
• Frontend
• Reliabilitiy 98
• Security 93
• Price 94
• License ease 91

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Attitudes after implementing

• Backend
• 83 believe it wasn't easier or harder to use
• 88 are satisfied or very satisfied
• 47 had resistance from supervisors/users
• Frontend
• 79 believe it wasn't easier or harder to use
• 74 are satisfied or very satisfied
• 65 had resistance from supervisors/users

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Overall Attitudes

• OS solutions mature enough for schools?
• Want to use more OS where appropriate?
• Find best solution for needs
• OS philosophies and values influence choices

2003 2004 91 95 84 91
58 73 64 63
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Interviews - Changes from 2003 to 2004

• Mature applications for schools
• More applications (enterprise-wide)
• More people using OSS more examples and support
  for you
• Increased awareness of student need to be able to
  use classes of tools (e.g., - wp, ss, db), not
  specific vendors versions
• Use of platform for dedicate labs (writing,
  testing) to free other technology for
  instructional practices.

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Interviews 2004 Lessons Learned

• Any new innovation must work as well, if not
  better than current applications.
• Small scale implentations may not scale well in
  multi-platform/system environment. Must balance
  cost, time, expertise, support, etc.
• To go to the desktop must have strong
  administrative support.
• Most important is the focus on finding the
  tools/applications that best meet or enhance the
  education of children.

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Quotes

• We don't choose a solution for its own sake. We
  must stay focused on our goal, which is to
  educate children the very best we can.
• We choose technology that will enhance our
  instructional goals and we leverage our
  applications in support of our instructional
  goals.
• Why pay more for something that is that robust
  right now? 2003
• Students go home burn them for their
  friends. 2003

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Quotes (contd)

• Solutions that work well on a small scale are
  not always easily scaled up. A small central
  staff can't always support that same solution on
  a larger scale.
• With Linux labs, the price point benefit is
  considerable.
• The financial reasons to migrate to open source
  software are compelling. As public servants
  educators have the responsibility to be cost
  conscious.

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eWeek Article (4/26/2004)Office 2003 vs
OpenOffice.org

• Identify where OSS can be successful
• Compare attributes of OSS alternatives with your
  needs
• Develop a pilot program
• Build a core of knowledgeable users
• Develop a training program
• (http//www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1570801,00.a
  sp)

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eWeek Article (4/26/2004)Office 2003 vs
OpenOffice.org (cont'd)

• Small Business with 300 users
• Our issue is cost, and software is where most of
  our upgrade expenses lie. Paying for an upgrade
  when few users will use new functionality is
  something I'm reluctant to do if I can get what I
  need from OpenOffice.
• Large Business with 25,000 users
• Large enterprises using multiple Microsoft
  products will usually have contracts in place to
  dramatically lower the per-seat cost for those
  with Microsoft products.

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General advice

• Think in terms of Strategic Planning
• Define needs in terms of capabilities, not
  software packages
• Think long term where possible
• Look for low threshold opportunities
• Experimenting is free easy
• Consider hybrid solutions

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General advice (contd)

• Use open file formats define criteria for
  document exchange
• Avoid upgrade for upgrades sake
• Consider the total cost of ownership
• Consider emulation software
• Include stakeholders

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Questions?

• If you are using Open Source software, does
  your experience match what we have learned?

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OSS Resources Focus on K-12 (a)

• http//k12os.org - Helps to install and configure
  Linux for K12
• http//schoolforge.net - Unifies independent
  organizations that advocate, use, and develop
  open resources for primary and secondary
  education.
• http//sourceforge.net - World's largest Open
  Source software development Web site, with the
  largest repository of Open Source code and
  applications available on the Internet. Free
  services for Open Source developers.

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OSS Resources Focus on K-12 (b)

• http//k12ltsp.org/contents.html - Linux Terminal
  Server Project is based on open source software
  packages that are free, and easy to install and
  configure
• http//www.osafoundation.org - Goal of the Open
  Source Applications Foundation is to create and
  gain wide adoption of Open Source application
  software of uncompromising quality.
• http//www.tech-geeks.org - Supports a very
  active mailing list for educational technology
  professionals

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OSS Resources Focus on K-12 (c)

• http//k12linux.org/contents.html - Provides
  instructions, samples and links to resources for
  Linux projects
• http//librenix.com/?inode2188 - Information for
  Linux System Administration
• http//www.redhat.com/opensourcenow - Provides
  technical support and a high traffic e-mail list
  of active and supportive members.

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Have fun exploring Open Source!

• Seymour Hanfling
• NETC NWREL
• hanflins_at_nwrel.org
• 503-275-0650

Basha Krasnoff NETC NWREL krasnofb_at_nwrel.org 503
-275-9643