Dissertation:

Real World Problem/Concern to be Addressed

Of the many trends that impact higher education in the United States, one that is only starting to gain visibility is the Open Source Software movement. Open Source Software refers to any software that is intended to be distributed to anyone who wants it, usually under the terms of a license agreement that allows access to and modification of source code (PITAC 2000). The most well-known example of Open Source Software is the Linux operating system, an up and coming rival to Windows for high-end computing systems.

Open Source is an outcome of the convergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Ubiquitous computing that includes high speed, high memory hardware, embedded and invisible devices, enterprise-wide networked software, voice activated systems, personal data warehousing, not to mention the growth of high speed Internet access, have all contributed to that convergence. The proliferation of small, multifunctional devices (phones that take digital pictures, send e-mail, etc.) is a physical manifestation - and, depending on your perspective - a benefit of that convergence. Importantly, the convergence is permanent; working, living, and learning will never be the same as before this convergence (Stalling, 2000).

For institutions of higher education, ICT convergence encompasses the convergence of the traditional technology of the university campus - the administrative systems such as the Student Information System, the Finance System, the Human Resources System, and the Fund-raising System - with the emerging technologies of online, flexible learning (Taylor, 2003). Once the academic and administrative software applications were moved to the new high speed, high capacity networks, it was initially a no-brainer to provide faculty, staff, and students with the tools and training they needed to travel the information superhighway around the world (Hengehold, 2001) in service of learning.

However, this convergence has not been painless. From the perspective of the institution's technology staff, the growing demand for support of e-learning or distributed learning is one of the top 10 issues consuming staff time (Educause, 2004), but deemed essential for the institution's strategic success. From the point of view of faculty, opportunities for development, support, training and some form of compensation for using ICT are in demand. Last but certainly not least are the expectations of the student. Today's student is no longer exclusively the traditional 18-21 year-old residential learner who relies on the instructor as the font of all learning. Instead, the majority of today's learners is non-traditional in that they are older, employed, not dependent on parents, and seek engagement as well as knowledge (NCES, 2004). All of this is taking place in a climate where traditional funding sources have become less generous, regulatory requirements - particularly with respect to accessibility - are becoming more stringent, and accountability has become the battle cry..

In response to these trends, there is some indication that institutions are seeking to reduce the technical support crisis by maximizing the use of technology investments already made. One method of increasing efficiencies is to consolidate academic computing and administrative computing into one single unit. Moreover, the decision to purchase and/or support enterprise-wide ICT systems such as instructional systems (Blackboard, WebCT, etc.) or other communication technologies (e.g., video-conferencing systems), is being made by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and his or her staff in collaboration with Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and department chairs and faculty (Green, 2003). This is a radical departure from only a few years ago when individual early adopter faculty purchased or obtained for free course management system licenses and other tools, resulting in multiple tools and technologies to post course materials on the Web or build simulations to enhance classroom instruction.

If, at the end of the day, it is the technology professionals who determine what instructional tools will (not) be supported, how can the institution ensure that technology remains in the service of pedagogy, and not the other way around? One school of thought contends that Open Source will provide both faculty and the technology staff that support them with enough flexibility to maintain the correct balance between technology and pedagogy (Weber, 2004; Williams, 2002; Pavlicek, 2000). Yet neither the Information Systems and Software Engineering literature nor the Education literature provides any insights as to awareness of and attitudes toward Open Source as the key to capitalizing on ITC convergence to serve both the academic and business sides of the institution. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the underlying assumption is that Open Source equals free, eliminating dependence on commercial vendors with proprietary platforms and costly licensing agreements (Williams, 2002). However, Open Source does not equal free. In fact, there is no consensus among educators as to what Open Source really is, what the financial and human resource costs of maintaining Open Source systems are, and what pedagogical advantages Open Source learning systems have over commercial learning systems. Further, there has been almost no discussion as to how compliance with Federal regulations concerning accessibility are met in Open Source systems.

The purpose of my research will be to determine the extent to which institutions of higher education in the United States are seriously considering Open Source for enterprise-wide efficiencies and to construct a truly integrated learning environment serving the academic and business sides of the institution. The research will examine similarities and differences in awareness, attitudes, and adoption intent by institutions of various sizes and Carnegie Classifications and reflect the national distribution of institution types/classifications as identified in the most recent Higher Education Publications (HEP) Directory. The research will also determine the extent to which institutions have processes and procedures for the successful deployment and maintenance of regulatory compliant, enterprise-wide Open Source systems and for striking that balance between pedagogy and technology. With that data, I will explore and evaluate current Open Source business models, then develop and test a concept for a new business model based on onshore, outsourced professional services for Open Source users in institutions of higher education.

References

Educause Current Issues Committee. (2004). Fifth Annual Current Issues Survey. Educause Review, 27(2). Retrieved August 23, 2004, from Educause: http://www.educause.edu/pub/eq/eqm04/eqm0422.asp

Green, K. C. (2003). Campus Computing, 2003: The 14th National Survey of Computing and Information Technology in American Higher Education (pp. 3-40). Encino, CA: The Campus Computing Project.

Hengehold, L. (2001). Going the Last Mile: Connecting Virginia's Community Colleges. Community College Journal, 72(2), 51-54.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2004, June 1). The Condition of Education 2004 (NCES 2004077). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

Pavlicek, R. C. (2000). Embracing Insanity: Open Source Software Development. Indianapolis, IN: SAMS.

President's Information Technology Advisory Committee. (2000, October). Developing Open Source Software to Advance High End Computing: Report to the President. Arlington, VA: National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 462 967)

Stalling, D. (2000). The Virtual University: Legitimized at Century's End: Future Uncertain for the New Millennium. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 26(1), 3-14.

Taylor, P. G. (2003). On-campus and Online in Australia: Issues Emerging from the Convergence of Technologies. Educational Technology, 43(3), 45-53.

Weber, S. (2004). The Success of Open Source. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Williams, S. (2002). Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilley.