Open Source in Education Conference at 2003
From Schoolforge-UK
Below is a third draft of a potential press relase for the conference. Please read, amend or suggest as appropriate. JamesS
APU hosts the inaugural Open Source in Education conference.
APU (Anglia Polytechnic University) hosted a one-day conference on Friday 4th April which attracted delegates and speakers FROM across the UK to hear FROM representatives of the government (BECTA, Office of the e-Envoy and DFES) and experts in the field. Attendees also shared information on the issues and benefits of using freely-licensed software in schools and openly sharing the resources created with each other.
The event was attended by teachers, network managers and special advisors to the government as well as academics and technicians FROM educational and commercial organisations.
The day focussed on both the technical and philosophical arguments for openness and sharing in education. Case study presentations highlighted the use of free operating systems and free software applications to minimise administration, cost and computer hardware turnover. Keynote speeches FROM Prof. Diana Laurillard (DFES) and Prof. Stephen Heppell (Ultralab) concentrated on how adopting principles of open learning can help teachers and learners alike.
The on-site network of Linux PCs provided a platform to SHOW examples of education-specific software that has been developed wordwide and was warmly received by delegates who took the opportunity to get experience of applications which are free to use and free to distribute.
Evident FROM the conference was a will to focus the promotion of open technology and sharing in education through a UK-specific organisation and firm steps have already been taken towards this objective, with further announcements to follow.
- Good release - two points...
- is it worth noting the disappointment at the non-open nature of some of the govenment websites - and yes I realise it may not be worth mentioning it :-)
- the www.schoolforge.org.uk link is good, though I agree with ChrisP that two stones are better than one big one... I'm still wondering if we should be known as Schoolforge UK or schoolforge.org.uk
- __I've removed mention of Schoolforge-UK and merely alluded to it's existence. As ChrisP said hopefully this will act as a hook for the Schoolforge-UK release - James__ I didn't think it was a problem to mention it, just that there will be another launch release? - [MjR]
- RichardRothwell
[MjR] has done some small typo and style fixes, but...
- suggests breaking the first para INTO two smaller sentences. It requires some butchery, so he hasn't done it. however I butcher it it doesn't seem to flow as well as the original - feel free to have a go at it though! - JamesS Done.
- He thought there was a previous conference that led to OSiE being set up? there was a Becta Technical seminar in July 2000 but no prior national conference as far as I know - I wasn't sure it was worth mentioning previous get togethers? open to suggestions though. - James There was a small March 2001 conference, as far as I can tell FROM http://osie.sf.net/
- Once again, I ask you not to use the brand-first-meaning-last "Open Source Software" phrase to refer to free software. See [Why this wording] for other points. I've tried to be clearer but it was called the 'Open Source in Education Conference' so I think that will have to stay for now? - [JamesS] I thought it was called that because of other resources as well as free software being considered?
- It needs some quotes, IMO.
- He refers to the project as Schoolforge-UK as the name will remain, but things like domains or even DNS itself can change over time.
An 'independent' review of the day with pictures can be seen at http://www.tonywhitmore.co.uk/ossconf2003.html
Following the press release will be the CD of speakers notes, newly commissioned case studies, resources and links (to be sent before 30th April).
