Dave Lane
A free and open source software advocate, developer, sysadmin, and lots of other things besides.
OERu's MVP Open Tech Platform
What, how, and why
Complex Systems
Learning environments are complex technology systems.
Two models:
1. Monolithic (Hare)
2. Loosely Coupled Components (Tortoise)
Image credit: Tortoise and the Hare - public domain
Hare
Monolithic approach
First foray into new solution domain
Integration via top down control - "Cathedral"
One vendor
Inherent monoculture
Often start-up with VC funding
Multiple competing, incompatible Monoliths
Winner-take-all via "Network Effect"
Image credit: Spanish Cathedral - CC0 license
Hare
Monolithic - pros
Fast to market - 1st Generation
One vendor to contend with
Fairly complete, well integrated solution
Image credit: Monolithic Rock - CC0 license
Hare
Monolithic - cons
Slow to adapt functionality as market matures
Customer has little influence on direction
Reliance on one vendor and their competence
Monoculture and monopoly
No upgrade path
Lock-in
Image credit: Ant Swarm - CC0 license
Tortoise
Loosely Coupled approach
Components integrated by agreed rules - "Bazaar"
More complex marketplace
Only emerges as solution domain matures
Builds on "level playing field" of open standards
More diversity - vendors can focus on components
Flexible and adaptable
Natural habitat of Free and Open Source Software
Image credit: Morocco Bazaar - CC0 license
Tortoise
Loosely Coupled - pros
Best-of-breed components
Adaptable - swap components in/out to meet needs
Incremental change: robust and stable over time
Upgrade paths
Self-determination - customer controls direction
Vendor diversity - no lock-in
Eventually: vendor "curated" collections
Image credit: Mob of Giant Tortoises - CC0 license
Tortoise
Loosely Coupled - cons
Customers need to know more, take responsibility
Takes longer to arrive at mature solution
More diversity can mean less visual consistency
Image credit: Croc Teeth - CC0 license
Closed v Open
MS PowerPoint/Apple Keynote
MS Office 365/Google Apps
Adobe Creative Suite
Slack/Trello
MS Skype/Apple Facetime
Twitter/Facebook
SurveyMonkey
Medium/Blogger
Text
Reveal+Slides
NextCloud+CollaboraOffice
GIMP/Krita/Inkscape/Scribus
Rocket.Chat/Wekan/KanBoard
Jitsi Meet
Mastodon/Diaspora
Lime Surveys
WordPress
You've heard of these folks... because they have all your money.
The others just write good software.
Image credit: Pick and Mix - CC0 license
Closed vs Open
Yes, but can FOSS be credible?
Some FOSS you might have heard of:
WordPress (25% of all websites)
Linux (most widely used computer operating system)
Firefox (main reason Microsoft doesn't "own" the web)
Android (85% of mobile devices)
Moodle (widely used LMS worldwide)
Image credit: Open evening market - CC0 license
MVP Tech Platform
Curating a "Digital Learning Environment" for the next generation
Image credit: Three of the next generation - CC-By 2.0 license
The Difference
A handful of high quality components, each focused on doing one thing really way, and easy to connect to one another, allow you to build remarkably sophisticated things.
When domain experts are empowered to shape and share their own tools, leaps in participation and effectiveness are possible.
Image credit: Lego Cathedral - CC-By-SA license
4 Freedoms
FOSS is built on "4 Essential Freedoms" (coined in 1985 by Richard M Stallman)
Text
0. run the software for any purpose
1. study how the software works, and change it to make it do what you wish
2. redistribute and make copies so you can help your neighbor
3. improve the software and release your modifications to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
Image credit: 4 Hot Air Balloons - CC0 license
5Rs
Prof David Wiley's "5Rs" are based on Stallman's "4 Essential Freedoms", repackaged for educators instead of programmers:
1. retain
2. reuse
3. revise
4. remix
5. redistribute
(
Image credit: Cape Flattery Looking north to Vancouver - CC-By license
Hitting our stride
Text
FOSS components are like (non-proprietary) Legos®:
Try them out in new ways and combinations.
See what works, drop what doesn't.
Accelerated digital evolution.
No need for product reviews, procurement processes, or ... budget.
Image credit: Lego Building blocks - CC-By-SA 2.0 license
Open Immersion
We use Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) to:
1. Support OERu internal processes
2. Help OERu partners assemble OERs
3. Make full OER-based courses for our learners
4. Help everyone collaborate
5. To glue everything together
Image credit: Duck Immersed - CC0 license
Why Immerse?
Why we use FOSS might not be so apparent:
1. Consistent with our open values
2. Scale up exponentially with minimal cost
3. Full control, beholden to no corporate agenda
4. Share it with you and your institutions
Image credit: Home of a plucky hobbit - CC0 license
FOSS User Apps
WikiEducator - versioned collaborative OER assembly (MediaWiki)
OERu Email/Planning Lists (OnlineGroups.Net) moving to an email-integrated next gen forum (Discourse)
OERu Chat - media-rich real time chat (Rocket.Chat)
Video Conferencing (Jitsi Meet)
File sharing and collaborative editing (NextCloud + Collabora Office)
Planning Kanban (Kanboard)
Image credit: Students using computers - CC0 license
FOSS Components
Flexible course delivery platform (WordPress)
Single Sign On (WordPress OAuth Server)
Automated rule-based email service (Mautic)
Questionaires and Surveys (LimeSurvey)
Website Analytics (Piwik)
Link Shortener - oer.nz/tech17 (YourLS)
Social Bookmarking (Semantic Scuttle)
Website Annotation (Hypothesis)
MicroBlogging (Mastodon)
CMS Websites (Drupal, Silverstripe)
Image credit: Components of a fine Italian meal - CC0 license
FOSS Infrastructure
Deployment Containers (Docker)
Relational Database (MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL)
Smart Object Store (CouchDB)
Publish-Subscribe Framework (Faye)
Web Server (Apache/Nginx)
Secure Hosting Certificates (Let's Encrypt)
Platforms (NodeJS, WordPress, MediaWiki)
Email Services (Exim4/Postfix)
Server Environment (Ubuntu/Debian Linux)
Image credit: Cracking tough nuts - CC0 license
OERu FOSS Glue
Strategic custom development integrating our components:
WikiEducator (MediaWiki) Templates & Extensions,
Plugins for our Course delivery platform (WordPress), integrating our automated email system (Mautic) via API, and
Our WikiEducator Notes (aggregated tag-based social network and blog feeds) via many APIs.
Image credit: Assorted Glues - CC-By 2.0 license
Goldilocks Process
The OERu Loosely Coupled FOSS Component-based approach to digital learning environments offers incremental, low-risk, user experience-driven change. Only add or change if it's "Just Right".
One of the compelling benefits for OERu partners.
Image credit: Bullseye - CC0 license
Curated Open Tech
We feel offering hands-on experience with curated "best-of-breed" innovative FOSS sofware components and technology adoption approaches are compelling benefits for OERu partner institutions.
Image credit: Eclectic Record Collection - CC0 license
Acknowledgements
Books by flockine dedicated to the public domain under Creative Commons CC0
OER Foundation 2017
Unless stated otherwise, the presentation is licensed as above. Logos are all rights reserved.
The OERu partner institutions, particularly Platinum Tier (the reason I'm here).
Ryerson University: The Chang School of Continuing Education for hosting us!
The work of countless FOSS developers and collaborators (especially Hakim El Hattab, on whose "Reveal.JS" slide software this presentation was built - create your own decks at https://slides.com).
The many generous photographers whose CC-licensed works have enriched this presentation.
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Full OERu MVP Open Tech Platform - what, how, why
By Dave Lane
Full OERu MVP Open Tech Platform - what, how, why
Updated Exhaustive explanation of our platform, the value of "loosely coupled" and full control (only possible with free and open source software)
