Open Source in Higher Ed is Different
E143 | Sat 15 Jul 3 p.m.–4 p.m.
Presented by
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Patrick Masson
@massonpj
https://pmasson.wordpress.com/
Patrick joined Apereo as Executive Director in January 2023, serving previously as Interim General Manager of the Foundation. Prior to Apereo, Patrick served as General Manager for the Open Source Initiative after working within higher education IT for over twenty years, including roles as CIO within the State University of New York and CTO at the University of Massachusetts' Office of the President. Before these, he served as the Director of Technology at the SUNY Learning Network and Director of the UCLA Media Lab.
Patrick is an adjunct instructor with SUNY Albany's College of Computing and Information and speaks frequently on topics related to open source software, open education, and educational technology. Patrick is the co-founder of EDUCAUSE's "Openness" Constituency Group and served on his local school board from 2014-2018.
Patrick Masson
@massonpj
https://pmasson.wordpress.com/
Abstract
Open source projects that emerge from within institutions of higher education are notably different from those with corporate roots or even founded by individual developers or communities. Indeed, higher education's open source projects most align with the movement's original mantra of "scratching a personal itch" when compared to other projects developed to support commercial interests or ventures.
This session will present the unique motivations, attributes, practices, and principles found in academically oriented and research-driven free and open source software projects and, thus, how development, community, governance, funding, and all the other requirements to grow and maintain a project successfully differ from many of today's most notable--non-educational--projects and communities. While this session will reference software projects specifically, attendees with experience with other open educational initiatives will recognize a common theme and, thus, find applicable takeaways applicable to their own work.
Open source projects that emerge from within institutions of higher education are notably different from those with corporate roots or even founded by individual developers or communities. Indeed, higher education's open source projects most align with the movement's original mantra of "scratching a personal itch" when compared to other projects developed to support commercial interests or ventures. This session will present the unique motivations, attributes, practices, and principles found in academically oriented and research-driven free and open source software projects and, thus, how development, community, governance, funding, and all the other requirements to grow and maintain a project successfully differ from many of today's most notable--non-educational--projects and communities. While this session will reference software projects specifically, attendees with experience with other open educational initiatives will recognize a common theme and, thus, find applicable takeaways applicable to their own work.