Transcript Operating System Linux

Open Source Software for
Learning Object Repositories
A Study Commissioned by the
OnCore Blueprint Project
Florida Distance Learning Consortium
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Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009
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Open source software is free!
Not as in free beer …
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Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009
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Open source software is free!
But as a free kitty!
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Today’s presentation
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Brief overview of open source software
Components of the study
Typology of LOR implementations
The platforms/applications
In the trenches – implementors’ views
Final thoughts
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You are using open source
• Apache
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HTTP server
Lucene
Perl
Tomcat
• Linux
– Operating system
• MySQL
– Database system
• And more…
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Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009
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Cathedral vs Bazaar
Proprietary vs Open
Eric S. Raymond. The Cathedral & the Bazaar:
Musings on Linux and Open Source by an
Accidental Revolutionary. 1999.
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What is Open Source Software?
• Several characteristics
– Free to download and use
– Access to and ability to modify source code
– Licenses that govern use
• Free software is software that is distributed
with a license that authorizes its users to run
the software for any purpose, to redistribute
copies of, and to examine, study, and modify
the source code.
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Free_Software
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Open source definition
• Open Source Initiative provides a definition focused on
ten criteria http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd
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Free Redistribution
Source Code
Derived Works
Integrity of The Author's Source Code
No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
Distribution of License
License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
License Must Not Restrict Other Software
License Must Be Technology-Neutral
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For our purposes, OSS …
• Is software that is available free of charge to
download and use
• Provides access to the source code and allows
modifications to the code
• Use and reuse of software and derivative work
are governed by licenses
– Unfortunately, the license landscape is not simple
– See http://www.opensource.org/licenses/category
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The study
• A review and assessment of open source
software for use in learning object repositories
• Purpose:
– Identify open source software (OSS) applications
and platforms that are currently being used for
learning object repositories (LOR) or could serve as
a platform for such repositories, and then review
and assess those OSS options according to a range
of criteria.
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The project team
Cadi Lusk
Jill Siewert
Samuel Muwanguzi
LIS Masters student
LIS Masters student
Information Science Ph.D. student
• Background using open source software
• Using DSpace for a learning object repository for the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
http://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/
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Methodology
• Identified OSS platforms/applications to review
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Drupal
DSpace
eduCommons
EPrints
Fedora
Plone
Rhaptos
• Used publicly available information to develop reports
on each
• Implementor interviews
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Assumptions
• LOR landscape was straightforward
• Each platform/application would be used in
multiple implementations of LORs
• Good instances of LORs using the platforms
could be identified
• People associated with the platforms would
readily review our compiled information for
accuracy
• Relatively easy to solicit time with implementors
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Learning object repositories
An E-Learning repository is a database that
contains useful teaching and learning
information that is available via the Internet.
Users are allowed to query the database in
an attempt to locate information that can
help to explain and clarify various topics.
Tomer, 2008
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Four core functions
1. An interface for adding content (actual objects
and metadata) to the system
2. An interface for searching/browsing/retrieving
content
3. A database for storing content
4. An administrative interface to facilitate
collection management, configuration,
preservation, and other activities
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Four major components
1. A server, typically using Unix/Linux or
Windows as an operating system
2. A web server (e.g., Apache or IIS and related
web application tools)
3. A relational database (e.g., MySQL, DB2,
Oracle, Postgres, SQL server)
4. Repository software
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Typology of LOR implementations
• Digital repository application
– DSpace, EPrints, Fedora
• Content management system (CMS)
– Drupal
– Plone
• Hybrid
– eduCommons
– Rhaptos
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Digital repository approach
EPrints Fedora
DSpace
Web Server
Database System
Apache
IIS
MySQL
Oracle
Operating System
Linux
Windows
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CMS approach
Drupal
Plone
Web Server
Database System
Apache
IIS
MySQL
Oracle
Operating System
Linux
Windows
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Hybrid approach
Drupal
Islandora
Fedora
Rhaptos
Plone
eduCommons
Plone
Web Server
Database System
Apache
IIS
MySQL
Oracle
Operating System
Linux
Windows
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DSpace
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http://www.dspace.org/
Developed for institutional repositories
Released: 2002
Current release: 1.5.2 (2009)
– Operating System: Unix-like OS (Linux, UP/UX, Solaris) or Microsoft
Windows
– Database: PostgreSQL or Oracle
– Web Server: Apache
– Applications Server: Apache Tomcat 4.x , Jetty, or Caucho Resin
– Programming Language: Java, Perl
– Other Tools: Apache Maven 2.0.8 or later, Apache Ant 1.6.2 or later
• Texas Course Redesign Repository
– http://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/
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EPrints
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http://www.eprints.org/
Developed for institutional repositories
Released: 2000
Current release: 3.2 (2009)
– Operating System: Linux, Unix-like OS (such as OSX), Vista
or XP
– Database: MySQL
– Web Server: Apache
– Programming Language: Perl
• Language Box
– http://languagebox.eprints.org/
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Fedora
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http://www.fedora-commons.org/
Flexible Extensible Digital Object Repository Architecture
Released: 2003
Current release: 3.2 (2009)
– Operating System: Unix, Linux, OSX, or Windows
– Database: MySQL, Oracle, or PostgreSQL
– Application Server: Tomcat 5.5.26 (included), can also be run on any
application server that implements Servlet 2.4/JSP 2.0 or higher such as
Jetty or Jboss
– Programming Language: Java
– Other Tools: Apache Any 1.7 or higher
• The National Science Digital Library (NSDL)
– http://nsdl.org/
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Drupal
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http://drupal.org/
Developed for creating web sites and web publishing
Released: 2001
Current release: 6 (2008)
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Operating System: Unix, Linux, BSD, OSX, or Windows
Database: My SQL 4. 1 or higher, PostgreSQL 7.4 or higher
Application Server: Apache 1.3, 2.x or Microsoft IIS
Programming Language: PHP 5.2 or higher
• Joining Educational Mathematics
– http://jem-thematic.net/
• Penn State University Open Educational Resources
– http://open.ems.psu.edu/
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Plone
• http://plone.org/
• Developed as a usability layer to work with the Zope
Content Management Framework
• Released: 2000
• Current release: 3.2 (2009)
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Operating System: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or Solaris
Database: Zope Object Database (built in)
Application Server: Zope 2.10.x
Programming Language: Python 2.4 or 2.5
• Open Educational Resources (OER) Commons
– http://www.oercommons.org/
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eduCommons
• http://educommons.com/
• Designed to facilitate the creation and maintenance of
OpenCourseWare projects
• Released: 2001
• Current release: 3.1 (2009) (3.2 coming soon)
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Operating System: Linux or OSX
Database: Zope Object Database (built in)
Application Server: Zope 2.10.5
Content Management System (CMS): Plone 3.0.6
Programming Language: Python 2.4.4
• Open.Michigan Educational Resources
– http://michigan.educommons.net/
• University of Notre Dame OpenCourseWare
– http://ocw.nd.edu/
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Rhaptos
• http://rhaptos.org/
• Created to facilitate the creation and publication (both digitally
and in print) of learning materials and scholarly works
• Released: 2005 (although under development and
implementation for longer period)
• Current release: 2.0
– Operating System: Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)
– Database: PostgresSQL 8.2 and/or CVS Repository (to be phased out in
future development)
– Application Server: Zope
– Content Management system (CMS): Plone 2.5
– Programming Language: Python
• Connexions
– http://cnx.org/
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Technical features inventory
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Discovery
Personalization
Community and Evaluation
Meta Tagging
Content Upload &
Management
• Aggregation and Deaggregation
• Digital Rights Management
• Presentation
• Integration and
Interoperability
• Installation and Support
• System Considerations and
Specifications
• Platform Profile
• Desktop Requirements
• Training
• Documentation/Help
• Scalability
Primary and Secondary Categories
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Technical features reports
• For each platform/application
– Overview narrative
– Technical features inventory
• Technical features comparison report
• Report structure can be used as guide
– Identifies salient features to consider
– Provides a structure for you to use to document
your information gathering on OSS options
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Technical features reports issues
• Used publicly available documentation
– OSS documentation problematic
– Typically no Sales Rep to send an RFI to
– Moving target of version releases
– Difficulty in getting reviews of our reports from key
people in the development community
– Mixed results from the implementors we interviewed
to review the reports
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Talking with the implementors
• DSpace
– Wiseplus
• Drupal
– JEM
– Penn State Open Educational Resources
• eduCommons (Plone)
– Open Michigan
– NotreDame
• Eprints
– Language Box
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Focus and function vary
• Storing and describing learning materials
• Storing metadata about learning materials
• Digital workspace for:
– Storing and describing
– Authoring and publishing
– Reuse in new materials
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Focus and function vary
• Continuum of content
Discrete Learning
Objects/Assets
Full
Courses
• Intended users
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Content creators
Instructors and instructional designers
Students
Others
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OSS choice drivers
• Mandate
– Funding agencies encouraged/required
• Personal/organizational preference
• Pilot project
– Quick and low-cost way to get started
• Flexibility and customization
• Financial priorities
– Allocate funds to course development rather than system
• System already implemented
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Benefits of OSS
Note: Some platform specific
• No annual license/maintenance fee
• Community of developers
– Being able to follow what is in the pipeline
– Problems often well-documented
– Assistance when needed
– Solutions often quickly developed
• Access to the code
– Functionality can be expanded
– Modularity for extensions
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Is OSS for you?
• OSS is free, but not as in free beer!
– Low-cost for out-of-box implementation
• Openness to open source
– Organizational attitude
– Central IT attitude
• Customizing and enhancing
– From simple configuration – sys admin, look and
feel, metadata choices
– To adding functionality -- programmer
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Where are we with LORs?
• Do we know the problem(s) we are trying to
solve?
• Are we identifying and understanding the
problems as we do our implementations?
• Who are we serving?
• Do we make assumptions about potential users
without really understanding what they want?
• These are questions that go beyond OSS…
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Final thoughts
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Options available
Requirements should drive decision
More projects than production systems
Problem space still evolving
OSS offers flexibility to address evolving
understanding
• Sakai-like approach for a LOR-specific OSS
solution?
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Platforms/Applications
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DSpace http://www.dspace.org/
EPrints http://www.eprints.org/
Fedora http://www.fedora-commons.org/
Drupal http://drupal.org/
Plone http://plone.org/
eduCommons http://educommons.com/
Rhaptos http://rhaptos.org/
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Implementations
• DSpace
– Texas Course Redesign Repository
• http://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/
– Wiseplus
• http://wiseplus.exp.sis.pitt.edu:8080/dspace/
• Eprints
– Language Box
• http://languagebox.eprints.org/
– EdShare
• http://www.edshare.soton.ac.uk/
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Implementations
• Drupal
– Joining Educational Mathematics
• http://jem-thematic.net/
– Penn State University Open Educational Resources
• http://open.ems.psu.edu/
• Plone
– OER Commons
• http://www.oercommons.org/
– Teach Sustainability
• http://www.teachsustainability.com.au/
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Implementations
• eduCommons
– Open.Michigan Educational Resources
• http://michigan.educommons.net/
– University of Notre Dame OpenCourseWare
• http://ocw.nd.edu/
• Rhaptos
– Connexions
• http://cnx.org/
• Fedora
– The National Science Digital Library (NSDL)
• http://nsdl.org/
– Open Learning Exchange Nepal
• http://www.olenepal.org/about.html
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References
• Susan W. Alman & Christinger Tomer. Building
Repositories for Digital Learning Objects: Challenges,
Issues, and Opportunities. 2008.
– http://www.sloanconsortium.org/conference/proceedings/200
8/1225838630264.pptx
• Eric S. Raymond. The Cathedral & the Bazaar:
Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental
Revolutionary. 1999.
– http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedralbazaar/
Moen
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