Is Open Source an Option?

It isn’t a secret that school budgets are shrinking, and often one of the first areas hit is the technology account.  The question is how to create a 21st century learning environment while still balancing the costs that go with it.  One alternative may be to turn to open source software (OSS) in place of commercial software.  Although the open source choices that districts have before them are immense, many districts still prefer commercial software.  Maybe it’s the name brand appeal, a concern about the quality of free software, or just a lack of knowledge about what is available for use, but the choice does exist, but is it right for your district?

Maybe it’s economy driven, but the popularity of open source software in schools continues to grow and may hold the answer for some cash-strapped districts.  The Journal provides a great review of Learning Management Systems that many school districts have turned to.  Through an analysis of Moodle vs Sakai, or even cloud-based solutions, this article makes the argument for open source remedies that can save districts money and provide freedom from licenses. Learning Management Systems can enhance content delivery but can also be costly, running into the thousands, making OSS an attractive substitute.

Open Source Schools is a site that focuses on the possibilities that open source software can provide to schools.  Whether your district is looking at full or partial acceptance of open source, the “Software Directory” on this site is worth giving some time.  It gives free alternatives to some expensive proprietary software including great introductory programming software such as Scratch, and vector drawing programs such as Inkscape.

This site for the Kim Komando Show has a list chock-full of freeware and web tools for both school and business.  It covers stargazing, calculators, and plagiarism, to many, many more topics.  Here’s a no nonsense listing of useful tools that any district could find useful.  It’s also a user-friendly site with links and operating system compatibility.

Does it meet the needs of the district?  The answer to this question is of course the most important element to consider.  If an open source alternative can be substituted for costly commercial software, perhaps this is the time to give it some thought before students are left out of the technology loop.  Although there are some districts that have been fortunate and able to purchase entire suites for their schools, the problem remains what happens when students leave school and those applications are not on their home computers?  Open source can bridge the gap between home and school.  Perhaps the idea of switching a district’s entire operating system to an open source alternative is not appealing; however, the pressure on a school’s budget can still be eased with individual open source solutions.

Our students must compete with a global population, a population that will not stop learning and innovating because U.S. districts have stagnated funding.  Finding new ways to continue to keep our students competitive is vital and OSS has grown and matured to become a viable consideration.