Name:
Matt Crosslin

Email:
matt@mattcrosslin.com

Title:
Making the Switch to Open Source Software

Author:
Michael Surran

Journal:
THE Journal, September, 2003

URL:
http://thejournal.com/articles/16448/

Introduction:
The objective of this article is to look at all of the issues involved in switching from proprietary products to open-source technology.  The author examines both the pros and cons of the switch that he was personally involved in.

Brief Summary:
The article begins with the author reviewing some of the issues that led him to consider switching the computer lad at his small private school to open-source technology.  He tells stories about the dangers that several schools face when they break the copyright laws of proprietary products (even unintentionally).

The author then describes the benefits of open-source technology.  He uses several well known examples, but he also goes into some benefits that he discovered at his school that have not been well documented in many open-source debates.  The fact that children were more interested in using Linux operating systems that PC was an especially surprising discovery.

Then, the author switched gears and looks at some of the arguments against open-source technology.  He presents some arguments and cases that also have never been bought to the table in open-source debates.  Most problems or concerns with open-source technology are addressed.

The author concludes the article with a brief summary of why he thinks open-source technology is a great benefit for the educational world.  He also gives a concise list of the benefits of using open-source technology.

Results:
This article shows that the switch from proprietary products to open-source technology can be accomplished.  Even though there may have been some initial problems, the switch worked out for the better in the end.  The author even found that the switch enhanced his classroom education.  He found that the children became more interested in using open-source technology because it wasn’t the same “old stuff” that they used at home.

Class Readings:
This article does support class discussions.  We have been discussing how the way that technology is used can have a huge influence on learning.  This article shows that presenting learners with a challenge will increase their interest.

Analysis:
This article does an excellent job of fully covering most of the major issues that arise in the open-source debate.  This article contains a much more in-depth analysis of open-source technology when compared with the first article reviewed (Kim 2002).  Whereas the first article just wetted the appetite, this article serves a full plate of analysis.  Even the difficult areas of open-source technology are studied in depth, not just skimmed and glossed over as in the first article.

Contributions:
This article makes a good contribution to the open-source debate in educational circles: it shows that student attention and motivation may be increased by the use of alternative technologies.  Unfortunately, it does not appear that this factor was scientifically researched.  However, this does open the door to some questions that could be researched in the future.

The author also provides some new ways to look at open-source issues.  Comparing the learning of open-source technologies to learning how to drive cars is a particularly brilliant analogy that needs to be explored more in depth.

General Critique:
In general, I feel that this is a very good article.  All of the bases are covered, and several good ideas are presented.  There are also several convincing arguments presented that I feel should be investigated further.

From a research angle, this article does not provide much to go on.  Most of the facts presented in the article are observations of author.  These are very helpful, but they are not backed up with scientific research.  Even the use of surveys could have been a good starting ground for future research efforts.

Issues (listed by the author):
The author really does not leave any issues as unresolved.  Every issue that is explored is also resolved in the same paragraph.

Issues (in my opinion):
One of the main issues that I feel is not addressed by this article is the issue of support and documentation.  Documentation in the open-source world is inconsistent, but there are alternatives.  Many communities exist for users to post questions and receive feedback.  Also, many software developers do not offer support for their products.  If they do offer support, it is not for free.

Impact:
As with the first article, I can not determine if this article has had an impact on the research community.  I could not find any articles that cite it.  As with the first article, the open-source community does appear to operate more in fluid mediums like chat rooms and discussion boards than research articles (at least in my observations).

Conclusion:
Open-source technology does provide many benefits for those that are willing to take a chance on switching over.  Many of the problems that arise in the beginning can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.  Educators should not avoid open-source technology just because they think the initial concerns will out weigh the benefits.  In fact, there are several areas of open-source technology learning that have not been fully researched or investigated.  Educators could potentially find man other benefits of open-source technology as they continue to dig in and look further.

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