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Page 2 of 4 Why use open source? The reasons for using open source software in education (and any organization!) are numerous. Cost savings, no vendor lock-ins, the freedom to redistribute, security, no pressure to upgrade, computers last longer, ability to modify, students get exposure to free software, open file formats, and ethics are just a few that I will cover on this site. I believe that a couple of these reasons are especially important for schools (open file formats, for example) as they are public service institutions and are publicly funded. Cost Benefit The first, but NOT most important reason for the use of open source software in education is the cost benefit. Now, before I go any further, I must explain that I do not expect anyone to abandon the use of current operating systems which have already been paid for. Also I must explain that from this point on when I refer to a free open source operating system, I am referring to one of the free Linux distributions. When I refer to  a cost benefit, I am talking about future use of free open source software as an alternative purchasing Microsoft Windows and other software with a new PC or purchasing an Apple computer. It is also important to note here that existing PCs and servers running MS Windows and Apple computers can co-exist quite comfortably on a network with Linux desktops and servers. Therefore, you could start using Linux on new machines without having to do anything with your existing computers. To the right you will find Tux. Tux is the official logo of Linux.
For those who are not willing to switch over an entire district to open source, let's take a look at the cost benefit of switching over just one computer lab. (By the way, this is an authentic example in which I am a part of.) I teach Technology Education in a computer lab of 15 desktop PCs running Windows XP. I teach desktop publishing/graphic design to 6th graders and website design and architectural drawing (as part of a CAD component of our curriculum) to 8th graders. Another teacher and myself teach the exact same curriculum simultaneously. (He also has a lab of 15 computers, and the labs are identical.) The lab we teach in is only two years old and when it was purchased, each compuer came with Microsoft Windows XP installed. Also a copy of Microsoft Office XP was purchased and installed on each machine. Using a conservative figure of $75.00 per computer for Windows and $75.00 per computer for Office XP, the cost of the software for each machine was $150.00. (Note: this does not include the cost of the anti-virus software and other software installed on each machine, that the tech department utilizes.) This makes the total software cost of the lab $4,500 (30 computers x $150.00) Had we opted to use a free distribution Linux for the operating system and OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office, we would have had $4,500 to spend that could be used to purchase digital cameras, scanners, and color printers! Using free open source alternatives would have been/would be fine with us because at this level (middle school) we believe that teaching process is all that really matters and that the software application used to do it is irrelevant. Therefore it is not important that mainstream software is used/purchased. (see Teaching Process vs. Teaching an Application) To see an overview of the software we currently use and how it can be, and in some cases has been, replaced by free open source software go to the Software Comparison.
Now, if you would take the cost savings listed above and multiply it by all of the computers in a school district, plus the cost of other software that can be replaced with free open source alternatives, you are looking at a siginificant cost savings!
As publicly funded institutions it is a school districts responsibility to make their funding stretch as far as it can and free open source software makes this possible. For those who would like to argue that students need to learn a certain software because they may need to know it for a job, again, please see Teaching Process vs. Teaching an Application.
To learn more about how Linux is being used in schools and their costs savings, please go to Linux in Schools and the K12 Linux Terminal Server Project case studies.
Also read the following excerpt from an article titled, "Open-Source Software," published May 2, 2005 on eSchool News Online to see how Linux is being used by various other organizations to save organizations money.
Governments jump on board
Recently, open-source software has gained considerable momentum in the public sector. Across the world, governments are making do with less money. According to the Center for Digital Government, "free software" is a determining factor for the governments of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Spain, and Thailand--along with U.S. entities such as the U.S. Treasury and the Department of Defense.
The trend is trickling down to states and cities, too. In 2003, the German city of Munich made headlines when it voted to switch 14,000 PCs from Microsoft to Linux. And earlier this year, three Los Angeles city council members proposed to pay for more police officers by switching from Windows to open-source software.
Los Angeles reportedly pays a whopping $5.8 million a year on commercial software licenses. The three city council members say they can save millions of dollars--even after taking into account training, maintenance, and migration--by switching from Microsoft to Linux. According to a report from National Public Radio, for every $100,000 Los Angeles saves, it can add a new police officer to the streets.
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Read the complete article here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStorysr.cfm?ArticleID=5662
Korea can also be added to the list of countries mentioned above. Here are some quotes from recent article, titled, "Korea brings home grown open source to schools," published June 21st, 2005 on CNET news.com:
The South Korean government is rolling out a homegrown open-source platform to 10,000 schools in the country.
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| "There's no hostility towards Microsoft. We did this first because of security issues and budgetary concerns. |
Read the full article here: http://news.com.com/Korea+brings+homegrown+open+source+to+schools/2100-7344_3-5755892.html
Linux Is More Secure Linux is more secure than Microsoft Windows. At the present viruses are almost non-existent and spyware is non-existent on Linux. However, I will concede that as Linux grows in popularity, viruses targeted at Linux can be expected and in the future. Spyware on the other hand will continue to remain non-existent on Linux because just like MacOSX, you have to log in as adminsitrator before software can be installed and after the installation you are automatically logged out. Plus, due to Linux being open source when a security flaw is found, there are people around the world the work to create a security patch. Therefore, there is a rapid turnaround with regard to security patches. In addition to Linux's already being more secure than Windows, the NSA (National Security Agency) has created SE Linux, which is a security update to standard Linux.
By using Linux, your tech staff wouldn't have to spend as much time resolving security issues as they would if you are using Windows. Just recently Microsoft released three critical security patches. Take a look at the following excerpt from CNET news.com. The article is titled, "Fixes in for critical IE, Windows flaws," published on June 14, 2005.
Microsoft on Tuesday issued three "critical" patches for flaws that could allow a malicious attacker to take remote control of a computer.
One fix deals with vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, while the others tackle problems with HTML Help and Server Message Block in the Windows operating system. The security bulletins were three of 10 released by the software giant as part of its monthly patch cycle. |
Read the full article here: http://news.com.com/Fixes+in+for+critical+IE%2C+Windows+flaws/2100-1002_3-5746506.html?tag=nl
Then read about how this is not an issue with Linux. Read the following excerpts from an article titled, "Open-Source Software," published May 2, 2005 on eSchool News Online:
| School IT personnel today are besieged with a flood of new security patches they must download, install, and test each month for their servers running Windows, a favorite target of computer hackers |
Ron Gerstenmaier, principal of Norton High School in Norton, Ohio, has a similar story. Norton High School has been using open-source software for six years now, according to Gerstenmaier. Not only does the school pay a fraction of the cost it would require to run proprietary software programs, but "we've never had a virus problem--and the downtime is zilch," he says.
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Read the complete article here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStorysr.cfm?ArticleID=5662
Also read the following excerpt from an article titled, "The Return of the Dinosaurs: How I Resurrected My Old Machines", also published on eSchool News Online, August 1st 2004.
| In addition, the Linux system is much more stable, and the solution has been practically impenetrable to viruses. When a virus did happen to infiltrate the system, the nature of the system made it impossible for the virus to spread to other users; it would only infect that particular user and would have no impact on the workstation. |
Read the complete article here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5202
Now from a security standpoint, you should have realized by now that Linux only has a security advantage over Microsoft Windows, but I have yet to mention anything about the MacOS. The MacOS is about equally secure, however, you need to look at the big picture, especially cost benefit, when comparing Linux to Apple computers!
In addition to the Linux operating system being more secure than Windows, the free open source web browser, Mozilla Firefox, is more secure than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. In fact, the teachers in my district that use  PCs have been told that due to security vulnerabilities they are not supposed to use IE and to use Firefox instead. To find out more, take a look at the following article, titled, "Does Firefox Really Provide More Security Than Internet Explorer?" by Vaida Bogdan, published in Issue 1 (5.8MB PDF file) of (IN)SECURE Magazine - Monday, 23 May 2005.
I could go on and on about security, but I think I have made my point, so let's move on!
Specific Software Applications Aren't Needed in the Classroom; Teaching Proceess vs. Teaching an Application In this section I would like to explain that teaching process with software is more important than teaching a specific application and that it is both unnecessary and irrelevant to teach specific software applications. Here is why.
First of all, I am not basing this position solely on my own opinion. In a survey I gave to various teachers, classmates, and business persons, they unanimously agreed that teaching process is more important than teaching software and that teaching specific software to elementary students and middle school students is irrelevant. The reasons cited were simply because teaching process is more important and also that software changes so much that by the time they graduated what they learned up through middle school may be outdated anyway.
Now, this same survey produced mixed results when referring to the high school level. However, I hope to show that teaching process is more important than teaching specific applications at the high school level as well. Several individuals who responded to my survey said that in high school students need to be taught the specific software applications that they will be using on the job. For example, my wife who works in the business world, said that students should be taught Excell because that is what is used. I also got a response that AutoCAD has to be taught instead of a CAD alternative because AutoCAD is what is used in industry. Before going any further, it is important to note that the survey specifically stated that the questions were in reference to a non-vocational curriculum in a regular high school and not a CTC (Career and Technology Center). In a Career and Technology Center (formerly known as Vo-Tech), where the primary goal its to prepare students for a career, I believe that the applications being taught need to be what potential employers are actually using. This will allow for a smooth transition from job training to actual employment. This being said, I would like to explain why the specific software taught in high school is irrelevant and why teaching process is more important.
First of all, in most cases in which specific skills are needed for a job, such as knowing a particular software, addition education beyond high school is required. It is through this higher education that students will be taught the skills they really need to know for a job. For example, it is ironic that my wife said that Excel needs to be taught in high school because that is what is used in the business world. It is ironic because her company will not hire anyone who does not have a college degree. So shouldn't Excel be taught in business, math, and accounting programs at colleges, universities, and vocational schools, when the educational process of using it should be more authentic? Actually, let me take the part about teaching Excel, specifically, back. OpenOffice's Calc is so similar in appearance and function to Excel, that Calc should be used at the University level as well. Even an experienced Excel user would have difficulty differentiating between the two!
To get back on task, again, let me repeat that I am NOT talking about using free open source alternatives in a vocational curriculum such as what is taught at a Career and Technology Center. I am talking about what is taught in a regular high school. Now, let me explain why AutoCAD does not need to be taught in a non-vocational curriculum. I do not know of any company that hires students directly out of high school to use AutoCAD that did not go to a CTC where students can learn the software in depth. I do, however, know of companies that won't even hire students who specialize in AutoCAD at a CTC, unless they receive additional education such as a 2 year school (associate's degree) for 4 year school (bachelor's degree). I am not making this stuff up. I was mentor at a career camp just last week in which middle school students got an introduction to all of the career programs offered at our local CTC. As a part of this camp we went on field trips. On a field trip to Apex Automation, Inc., during the tour, the owner pointed out a recent CTC graduated who was working for them during the summer, however, he said that if this recent graduate wanted to work for them full time that he would have to continue his education receive either a 2 or 4 year degree.
Let's look a few more examples. Teaching a web design or multimedia course in the Technology Education department is an example in which open source software can be the perfect alternative to pricey software. No one is going to graduate from high school and get a job working as a graphic design artist or web designer without receiving additional training. Plus, the software is so similar that students should easily be able to go from using GIMP to Photoshop, Inkscape to Illustrator, and Scribus to any page layout program. Or lets talk about a class on FrontPage that is taught in the business department. Nvu, a free open source alternative to FrontPage, is so similar to FrontPage that our other middleschool Tech Ed teacher and myself have had middle school students switch back and forth between the two programs without any difficulty!
In addition to everything mentioned, software changes, operating systems change, and companies get bought out by other companies and software lines are discontinued (Adobe just bought Macromedia and it will be very interesting to see if Fireworks continues.) The software or version of software that is taught in a middle school or even high school, may be completely outdated by the time a student graduates. If you are a teacher, think about how many different software programs you have used in your lifetime, even within the last couple of years! In our district (and probably nearly everyone else's) everyone used to use AppleWorks. Now we are no longer supposed to use AppleWorks and are to use Microsoft Office. How about the grading program you use? Is it the same one you were using just 5 years ago?
Hopefully I have made the point as to why teaching specific applications should be secondary to teaching process!
Linux Allows You To Turn Old Computers Into State-of-the-Art Workstations Using free open source software, school districts can turn their old PCs (dinosaurs) into state-of-the-art workstations. This can be accomplished by implementing a Linux terminal server in a computer lab. This allows schools to connect lots of low-powered, thin-client terminals to a Linux server. Applications typically run on the server, displaying their output on a thin-client display. Your old dinosaurs are set to boot directly to the central server, and users are able to access their virtual desktop, which resembles Windows. This allows you to use boot diskless workstations (you don't have to worry about your old hard drives failing!) from an applications server. You can use old PC's as diskless clients or buy new ones for under $200 each.
For more information, go to The K12 Linux Terminal Server Project website.
Also read the article titled, "The Return of the Dinosaurs: How I Resurrected My Old Machines", published on eSchool News Online, August 1st 2004.
Open Source Software is Already Being Used In Education Successfully Around the World Open source software is already being used successfully in education around the world! For example, on the topic of migration to Linux based desktop applications states, "We offered very little training. I just showed students that they could save StarOffice files as .doc .rtf and .ppt files for use on Windows workstations. The kids picked up on it right away and enjoyed configuring of migration to Linux based desktop applications, Paul Nelson from Riverdale Grade School in Portland, Oregon their desktops and work environments." (http://k12ltsp.org/casestudy.html) To view a list of schools in the US and around the world and how well Linux is working for them, go to Linux in Schools and the K12 Linux Terminal Server Project case studies.
Linux Distributions are Complete Another reason to use Linux is because typically Linux distributions come complete. By this I mean that most Linux distributions come with everything you need in a single installation! Typically a full installation will inlcude  OpenOffice, GIMP, Mozilla, a vector drawing program, CD/DVD burning software, a media player, games, and a huge list of other software. Also included is a number of Edutainment and educational software programs. To view some of the Edutainment programs that are available for Linux go to
SourceForge.net an index of all kinds of open source software
Other Reasons Using Linux helps to make students informed consumers. The use of Linux in schools makes students aware that there are other operating systems out there other than Microsoft Windows. This will help them to make informed choices when purchasing a computer.
Disadvantages of the Exclusive Implementation of Open Source Software Now that I have talked about some reason why you should exclusively use free open source software, I will list the disadvantages of using doing so. Open source software is not a viable option if you must run specific mainstream software applications. For example, if you must use AutoCAD then you will need to use Windows for you CAD machines. However, I know for a fact that open source CAD programs are currently in development that are expected to rival AutoCAD. If you simply need a CAD program, currently there are free open source 2D and 3D CAD programs available for Linux. Like I mentioned on the Introduction page, if you look for it, you will probably be able to find a free open source solution to just about all of your needs. In addition, if you read the section above explaining why teaching specific applications is unnecessary in schools, then you should realize that not being able to use software like AutoCAD is really a non-issue.
Another disadvantage of using free open source software as your operating system is that some hardware may not be supported. What I mean by this is that you may have hardware that is not compatible with Linux if there are now Linux drivers for it. However, Linux comes with drivers for most common hardware, so again, this should be a non-issue.
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