Re: [seul-edu] [Fwd: RE: Preliminary thoughts on a Linux in educationpromotion]

[Michael Hall <admin@openlearningcommunity.org>]

On Sat, 24 Nov 2001, Doug Loss wrote:

> The schools have a lot of money, legacy code, and familiarity invested
> in current systems. The cost element will move some administrators, but
> not the troops using the systems - the money doesn't come directly from
> their pockets. They won't want to start up another learning curve.

That's certainly my experience here in Oz. As I've mentioned previously,
we now have Linux servers powering networks in every school in the state,
and Squirrel Mail and Star Office on the Win98 clients. 

When discussing the new system with other teachers, the fact that OSS is
free doesn't rate at all ... teachers didn't pay for Word before, so most
(all I've spoken to) couldn't care less. Most don't know or care about the
other benefits of OSS, or the politics/sociology of it.

At the end of the day, everything boils down to usability. Either
hard-pressed teachers
can do what they need to do with a computer when they need to, or they
can't. That's all every teacher I've discussed OSS with cares about.
Most have no idea of what an OS is, let alone that there is a choice.

Our state's shift to Linux and OSS was a top-down admin thing motivated
mainly by the cost factor.

I don't know if there is any message in this, except that a clearly
focussed, well presented education campaign is necessary. Most teachers
are open to socially beneficial ideas when they understand the issues
involved. But they want stuff that `just works' too, as most don't want to
have to learn anything more about Linux/OSS than they know about
Windows/M$.

Michael


-- 
Michael Hall
OPEN LEARNING COMMUNITY   
http://openlearningcommunity.org
admin@openlearningcommunity.org