Open Source Software: Quality Learning, Improved Productivity, or a Distraction? Jim Farmer, Sakai Community Liaison Modern Language Association 120 th Annual Convention Philadelphia, 30 December 2004

2 Publisher’s Note This presentation has been revised to include materials presented, responses to questions, and clarifications.

3 Open source, a path toward an end Open source software in a method for developing of software. A number of open source software projects, including Sakai, are developing software “tools” for education. These tools may be used to improve teaching and learning and research. Added slide

4 Open source and proprietary Open sourceProprietary Developed by a community to meet their needs Developed by a firm to meet the anticipated needs of a market Community “shares”Firm restricts market use Success depends upon value to user Firm depends upon long-term fees for profit Added slide

5 Quality and the future Open sourceProprietary QualityKnowledge of the community Employed expertise; relationship with users Time horizonTends to be immediate Long term VulnerabilityLong term support Industry consolidation, change in management Added slide

6 Software and eLearning The Sakai Project and the Sakai Educational Partners Program will deliver “software tools” that faculty, staff, and students can use to improve their teaching, learning and research. The “end goal” is this improvement, not just building software. The Sakai Education Partners are providing guidance to the software development as well as contributing “Sakai interoperable” software they have found useful.

7 eLearning: We know There are many different kinds of eLearning. It works, but private university CAOs believe traditional classrooms are better. Students “study” differently with wide variations on intensity and time to completion.

8 We believe (and have examples) eLearning improves retention, completions, and student satisfaction. eLearning may improve institutional and faculty productivity. eLearning may provide instruction where traditional classrooms cannot –Courses not offered –Geography –Schedule (remember, 73% of students work an average of 21 hours per week)

9 Learning content is an investment Costs per 3-unit course –$5,000 – developed by eCollege from faculty notes, diagrams –$36,000 – Yavapai and Northland Pioneer Colleges –$1,000,000 – Coast Community College, full multimedia –$25,000,000 – British Open University And the results differ; more investment yields better results

10 eLearning requires Authored learning materials (and authoring software) “In context” communications Content presentation system Collaborative Learning Environment A sophisticated delivery system Course management system And integration with portals and other systems

The Sakai Project Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the four universities

12 The SAKAI project “The University of Michigan, Indiana University, MIT, Stanford, and the uPortal consortium are joining forces to integrate and synchronize their considerable educational software into a pre- integrated collection of open source tools.” The Sakai Project, A proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 2 December 2003

13 Sakai efforts Have developed a community [open] source Collaborative Learning Environment in use at the University of Michigan (September 2004) and Indiana University (January 2005). Are developing an assessment system (SAMigo) and grade book (available spring 2005). Should introduce portal integration (mid-2005). Continues to develop an “open standards” architecture.

14 Sakai 1.0 Tools and Features Worksite Info Schedule Announcements Resources Assignments Discussion Dropbox Chat Web Content News Archive My Workspace Users Present Tear off windows Multiple roles, permissions Notification, preferences Browsable sites list Membership (self join sites) Webdav to Resources Public view Message of the Day

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The Sakai Education Partners Program Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the partners

23 Sakai Education Partners Program Facilitates Discussion and Work Groups developing “best practices,” and supporting community development of software “tools” and integration with other projects. Supports Sakai software. Develops and supports a community advancing eLearning in higher education. Based on expressed interests of the community Partners contribute funds and staff time to community projects.

24 Sakai founding partners University of Colorado at Boulder Cambridge University Carnegie Mellon University Columbia University Cornell University Foothill-De Anza Community College District Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Northwestern University Princeton University Tufts University University of California Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Santa Cruz University of Hawaii University of Oklahoma University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison Yale University

25 Additional Sakai partners Arizona State University Boston University, School of Management Dartmouth College Florida Community College, Jacksonville Georgetown University Maricopa Community College District New York University Simon Fraser University University of Arizona University of Hull University of Lancaster University of Melbourne University of Nagoya University of Toronto University of Washington

26 Sakai organization Sakai ProjectSakai Partners Sakai Board Joseph Hardin, Chair, University of Michigan Bradley C. Wheeler, Indiana University Lois Brooks, Stanford University Mara Hancock, University of California, Berkeley Carl Jacobson, University of Delaware Amitava ‘Babi’ Mitra, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jeff Merriman, Open Knowledge Initiative Vivian Sinou, Foothill DeAnza Community College District Ian Dolphin, University of Hull

27 Sakai 2005 Sakai Project – CLE and SAMigo Sakai Partners –Foothill College Melita authoring tool –University of California Berkeley gradebook Sakai related –Open Source Portfolio Initiative –CREE Project: JISC Library access portlets –University of Nagoya multimedia “immersion”

28 In summary Sakai is making “open standards” software available to colleges and universities as open source. Sakai is cooperating with the efforts to make “open content” interoperable and available. Sakai is coordinating its development with other projects, especially library projects, to extend the advantages of interoperability.

29 Sakai may By making “best practices” and the implementing software widely available, improve instruction and research. Through improved processes and software implementation, advance interoperability of content, course and student management, and inter-institutional data exchanges. Facilitate long-term collaboration among colleges and universities leading to future improved outcomes and lower unit costs.

30 Sakai depends Upon the motivation and contributions of Partner faculty and staff. Having reasonable time, reasonable expectations, reasonable demands. Continued support of the Partner colleges and universities, and The goodwill of all of the participants, sponsors, and users.

The end jim farmer

32 e-Learning defined “e-Learning is the effective learning process created by combining digitally delivered content with (learning) support and services.” Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (UK) From 28 December 2004

33 Types of e-Learning

34 Online education defined “OnLine Education allows the study of higher education courses through the electronic medium of Internet. Course Materials, including reference papers, study materials and contact with tutors and fellow students are all accessed through the use of personal computers and telecommunications.” Greg Kearsley, 1997 From cbdd.wsu.edu/edev/Nigeria_ToT/tr510/page15.htm, 28 December 2004

35 Context of eLearning, some results

36 Rio Salado College and Plato Math Using commercially developed Interactive Mathematics Rio Salado offered four courses with one instructor. The number of students in a section increased from 35 to 100. A course assistant was added to help with course management, freeing the instructor to focus on student learning. Academic Systems Inc. Profile, October 2002

37 Northern Oklahoma College Using Interactive Mathematics, the pass rate for Elementary Algebra increased from 45% to more than 70%. Sixty percent of the incoming students at Northern Oklahoma College are deficient in mathematics. “Students are passing math and staying in school,” Debbie Quirey said. “75 percent of our students who take one or more developmental math classes go on to pass college algebra.” Plato Implementation Story, April 2004

38 Student motivation to learn “Quirey and others in the department attribute the success to students being able to review the Interactive Mathematics instructional module over and over again until they understand it.” Plato Implementation Story, April 2004 “According to instructors, students using Interactive Mathematics reported that they tended to go back and review the software’s instruction more often than ask questions of the instructor or ask for help from tutors.” Thomas Coe, Mathematics Department Chair, Rio Salado College Academic Systems Profile, October 2002

39 Student willingness to learn Students can accelerate their learning and finish more than one course level per term. “I have had up to 10 percent of my students complete two courses in a single semester. A few have even completed three courses.” Kim Brown, Mathematics Department Chair, Tarrant County College Plato Implementation Story, April 2004 in a distance learning

40 Online enrollment growing in the U.S.

41 Most in public colleges and universities

42 Extensive used in private for-profit

43 Most institutions have online courses

44 CAO’s disagree on quality

45 Students learn at different rates

46 Students work differently

47 About Sakai Educational Partners

48 Number of Sakai partners

49 Sakai Partners by country

50 SEPP Conference by country

51 Some Sakai Partners projects

52 The Berkeley Grade Book An example of collaboration University of California, Berkeley funded development of an on-line grade book Develop the grade book in collaboration with MIT Deploy and test the grade book integrated with local student systems Re-factor the grade book to Sakai “Tool Portability Profile” to support interoperability

53 The Etudes Project An example of collaboration Hewlett Foundation funded deployment of Sakai Collaborative Learning Environment at Foothill- De Anza Community College District Develop an authoring tool, primarily for faculty Deploy and test Sakai as an information service (ASP: Application Service Provider) for 48+ community college districts Develop open standards sharable learning materials

54 The Twin Peaks Project An example of collaboration Sun Microsystems, Inc. funded deployment of a citation/link authoring tool by Indiana University. Transfer a citation and link from a Web search or browser display into a document. Integrate into a JSR 168 portlet with an open source on-line WYSIWYG editor.

55 The CREE Project An example of collaboration UK JISC-funded project led by the University of Hull, a Sakai partner Redevelop search applications as Sakai JSR 168 portlets Improve the user interface; explore alternative presentations (by role, experience, disabilities) Includes Z39.50 (Jafer), Web Services-based SRW/SRU, Open URL (BALSA), portal environment (HEIRPORT), and Google Tested, documented, and made available as open source

56 Publisher’s Note uPortal is a project of the JA-SIG Collaborative led by Carl Jacobson at the University of Delaware and funded, in part, from the Sakai Project. im+m has contributed to uPortal, and the University of Hull’s CREE project referenced in these presentations. The author is Chairman of the Board of im+m and Sigma Systems Inc., contracted by the University of Michigan for the Sakai Educational Partners Program, part-time researcher for the U.S. Department of Education and volunteers as uPortal Project Administrator.

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