SFD around the Commonwealth

Software Freedom Day (SFD) is celebrated around the world to educate the public about the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software. COL's 3-year strategic plan is called learning for development and numerous initiatives supporting the realisation of our plan rely heavily on the scalability of open source software and free content to widen access to education for all Commonwealth citizens.

The Commonwealth has an excellent track record in open source software for education with a number of learning management systems developed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. These include:

ATutor, Canada
Interact, New Zealand
Moodle, Australia
KewlNextGen, South Africa
LAMS, Australia

COL's recognition of free software

In recognition of COL's ability to respond flexibly to many educational challenges around the world using free software and free content, we are celebrating Software Freedom Day 2006 by collecting personal narratives from people like you and me from around the Commonwealth on what free and open source software has meant for their involvement in education and learning.

COL celebrates SFD

COL staff in present in Vancouver will gather in the boardroom for a viewing of JTS Moore's Revolution OS with the proverbial pizza in celebration of SFD 2006.
COL annouces the institution of the Commonwealth Computer Navigator's Certificate - a free content initiative to develop ICT skills using open source software.

An introduction to free software

The prime objective of Software Freedom Day is to enlighten the public on free software. If you're a newbie and want to find how you can achieve greater freedoms, Wikipedia has excellent entries for you to browse:

Wikipedia on Free Software
Wikipedia on Open Source
Wikipedia on RMS
Wikipedia on Software Freedom Day
OSS Watch Survey 2006 (UK-based study of FLOSS in tertiary education institutions)
UNESCO Free Software Portal
Ubuntu as an alternative to Microsoft

Personal narratives

This is an open invitation for people around the Commonwealth to include a short personal narrative on how open source software has helped them with their work in education. Please add your story, thoughts, pictures etc on a new page link below. Remember that your personal story could help others to "walk the talk". Stories must be in by 16 September 2006.


	Zaid Ali Alsagoff, Unitar, Malaysia	"FLOSS are increasingly empowering and facilitating learning beyond the worldly borders and burderns of licenses, versions and cost" more ...
	James Dalziel, LAMS Australia	"the values of free software/open source software align well with the traditional values of educators" more ...
	Martin Dougiamas, Moodle, Australia	"Once you figure out how communities function the possibilities are endless" more ...
	John Lesperance, Seychelles	"For those who have never used it before, don't be afraid, just try it" more ...
	Wayne Mackintosh, COL. South Africa & New Zealand	"Free software is like chilli – hot and a mildly addictive" more ...
	Stewart Marshall. The University of the West Indies, Barbados
	Randy Metcalfe, OSS Watch, United Kingdom	"I am constantly amazed at how the [OSS community] organize themselves, what they are able to produce, and how they value the things I value myself" more ...
	Sunday A. Reju, Regional Training & Research Institute for Open & Distance Learning (RETRIDAL), Nigeria	"piracy of proprietary software which thrives in most African countries seems to be an impediment towards quick implementation of FLOSS" more ...
	Clayton R Wright, Educational Consultant, Canada	"I am concerned that some who want to use it do not fully appreciate what is involved" more ...
	Richard Wyles, Flexible Learning Network Ltd, New Zealand	"The work is sort of addictive as it is so rewarding. For me personally it is the freedom to be creative, to extend code to meet a particular need." more ...
	David Moore, New Zealand	"Every day is software freedom day." more ...
	Brent Simpson, New Zealand	"..." more ...
	Greg Gay, ATutor LMS, Canada	"What better way is there to promote accessibility than creating Open Source Software that models accessibility in practice." more ...
	Dave Wilson, COL, Canada	"COL’s “virtual conferences”" more ...
	Sandhya Gunness,University of Mauritius	"So.. are you working on my website?"..."Nopes! ", I said "Here", handing my husband my pen drive .. "U can do it yourself!" more ...