Go to Module 2 Go to Module 3 Go to Module 4Go to Module 5 Go to Module 6This blog page is for Module 2. My multimedia project for Course 7102 is about Open Source. I hope to use the Web 2.0 tool Prezi to create my notes for this project. You'll find the justification for choosing Open Source for my multimedia project below. My reflection of one of the three elements of Distance Education Diffusion follows this paper.
Professional Distance Education Conference: Open Source
Open Source is one of the new “buzz” words in modern technology. This relatively new technology is generally free and easy to use. Open source is available for the novice and all other people with varying degrees of technology expertise.
The core code of a given Open Source program is free and available for anyone to change. Users of these programs may choose to change them, may choose to distribute them to others, and may choose to reproduce them. Read (2010) uses an interesting term in regard to the copyright scheme of Open Source programs. “Copyleft”, instead of copyright, refers to the general public license (GPL) of an open source program.
Benefits of using Open Source are numerous. One has flexibility and the ability to increase or decrease the size of the program used. Integrating Open Source programs within existing programs is acceptable and manageable. There is a product obsolescence protection, Read (2010), in that changes are made as needed and so the program doesn’t become obsolete. Lastly, lowered costs of creating the Open Source program is a great benefit.
One can justify the use of Open Source programs since they are easy to use and cost effective. Businesses, nonprofit groups, teachers, and others are looking for ways to cut costs. Another justification is that there is an audience of technology-minded people who can use their talents and creativity to make Open Source more user-friendly, more productive, and more widely diffused. Part of that audience is sitting in the elementary, middle, high school, and colleges today.
References
Read, B. (2010). Open source on open mind. Customer Inter@ction Solutions. 28(8), 6-8.
Reflection of 1 of the 3 Elements of Distance Education Diffusion:
Dr. George Siemens discussed the three elements of distance education and listed the three elements as (a)global diversity, (b)communication, and (c)collaborative interaction. I would like to reflect upon communication.
Communication has evolved in online learning with a lot of help from social media. Teachers and students can blog online. Students blog with their peers as well. Blogging has become so commonplace that several of my 4th graders have their own Facebook or My Space accounts. Although this is my second attempt at blogging, this medium is an easy way to discuss, debate, and exchange ideas.
Online tools that promote communication in distance education include blogging, such as Blogspot. YouTube, while filled with entertainment-type videos, also contain lots of videos that I use in my classroom with high educational content. I used YouTube when trying to figure out how to create a blog and a Wiki. I even used YouTube to learn how to create a hanging indent in my papers.
There are many lists of online tools, such as Web 2.0, that can assist any educator and learner in organizing, presenting, and sharing academic content.
Open Source Storyboard Outline
Here's an outline of my Open Source storyboard.
I'll be adding graphics and information throughout the course.
