2. 2
Topics
● Win-Win Solutions that Don't JustWork™
● Putting the Professors in the Driver's Seat
● Building a Better MouseTrap
● Getting Involved
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
3. Free Software + Academia
`
A Win-Win Solution
that Doesn't JustWork™
4. 4
Academic Institutions
• Unite theory and practice
• Provide real-world, marketable skills
• Be seen as “cool” and innovative
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
5. 5
Free Software Communities
• More users
• More contributors
• More people who know about Free Software
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
6. 6
Corporate Contributors
• More, and more-qualified, job applicants
• Get to be known by the candidates they want
• Work with candidates before hiring them
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
7. 7
It Should JustWork™
• Everyone wins
• GNOME welcomes newcomers
• GNOME succeeds with student contributors:
✔ Google Summer of Code
✔ Outreach Program for Women
✔ HFOSS
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
8. 8
(Where are all the professors???)
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
9. 9
Barriers to Entry
}
1. Unfamiliar tools
2. Undetermined projects
3. Unidentified resources
Every semester!
4. Unanswered questions
5. Unforeseen obstacles
6. Unestablished curriculum
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
10. 10
Root Causes
● Semesters have a fixed schedule
● Courses have fixed learning outcomes
● Faculty are expected to be in control
● Academia is a closed culture
● Faculty have limited time to teach
● Research is seen as a “better investment”
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
11. The “Season of Code” Problem
`
A(nother) Win-Win Solution
that Doesn't JustWork™
12. 12
How Could It Possibly Fail?
● Real needs ● Supportive mentors
● Great ideas ● Backing organizations
● Enthusiasm ● Infrastructure
● Time ● Financial support
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
14. 14
Post-Mortem Results
• Students move on
• Accessibility is not “shiny”
• Accessibility is highly specialized
• Existing team members have full plates
• An entity to ensure continuity is essential
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
15. Outreach Program for Professors
+ foss2serve
`
Putting Professors in the Driver's Seat
16. 16
Educate the Educators
● Community norms • Build tools
● Communication tools • Patch creation
● Issue trackers • Localization
● Version control • Releases
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
17. 17
Provide the Tools
• A module (new or existing)
• Infrastructure to maintain that module
• Ongoing mentorship
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
18. 18
Give Professors Ownership
• They set their road map (i.e. projects)
• They allocate their resources (i.e. students)
• They perform code review (i.e. assessment)
• They control their module (and their semester)
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
20. 20
Academic Efforts
• TOS – teachingopensource.org
Community of academics and developers
• HFOSS – hfoss.org
Humanitarian-centered to attract more students
• foss2serve – xcitegroup.org/foss2serve
New NSF-funded series of projects
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
21. 21
foss2serve's Main Goals
• Professional development for faculty in FOSS
• Small-group learning communities
– Connecting academia with FOSS projects
– Faculty become core participants
– Creation and sharing of learning materials
• Increase student interest in computing
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
22. 22
foss2serve's Participants
• Red Hat – POSSE
FOSS immersion experience for instructors
• GNOME – Outreach Program for Professors
Ramp-up and support for long-term participation
• (Your organization or institution here)
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
24. 24
Project Goals
• Financially self-sustaining
• Not limited to computer science
• International collaboration
• Professors mentor new professors
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
25. 25
Project Goals (cont.)
• Modules gain communities
• Modules become core GNOME
• Students remain as contributors
• Expands to include high schools
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
27. 27
MouseTrap
● Standalone GNOME application
● Mouse control via webcam head tracking
● Written in Python, based on OpenCV
● Created during GOPA: 2008
● Contributed to during HFOSS: 2009
● Last non-localization code change: 2010
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
28. 28
Short-Term Goals
• Make the module GNOME 3 compatible
• Define the module's road map
• Establish expertise in academic participants
• Explore/create course material for student
involvement
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
29. 29
Medium-Term Goals
• Regular releases
• Significant contribution by students
• Incorporation of the module into courses
• Increased visibility of students participation
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
30. 30
Long-Term Goals
• Module being included as GNOME “feature”
• Users actively participating
• Students and faculty doing core development
• Many disciplines and institutions contributing
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
32. 32
Program Participants Sought
• Computer Science • Art, Graphics Design
• Technical Writing • Foreign Language
• HCI, Usability • Marketing
• Special Education • Others
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com
33. 33 GNOME Accessibility Team
Alejandro Piñeiro Joanmarie Diggs
apinheiro@igalia.com jdiggs@igalia.com
Western New England University
Heidi Ellis Herman L. Jackson
ellis@wne.edu stoney.jackson@wne.edu
Drexel University
Gregory Hislop Sean Goggins
hislopg@drexel.edu sgoggins@drexel.edu
Nassau Community College
Darci Burdge Lori Postner
darci.burdge@ncc.edu lori.postner@ncc.edu
Facilitating Student Participation in Free Software within Academic Courses
Joanmarie Diggs | jdiggs@igalia.com