Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009 Moen 1 Open Source Software for Learning Object Repositories A Study Commissioned

Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009Moen 1

Open Source Software for Learning Object Repositories

A Study Commissioned by the OnCore Blueprint Project

Florida Distance Learning Consortium


Open source software is free!

Not as in free beer …


Open source software is free!

But as a free kitty!


Today’s presentation

• Brief overview of open source software

• Components of the study

• Typology of LOR implementations

• The platforms/applications

• In the trenches – implementors’ views

• Final thoughts


You are using open source

• Apache – HTTP server– Lucene– Perl– Tomcat

• Linux– Operating system

• MySQL– Database system

• And more…


Cathedral vs BazaarProprietary vs Open

Eric S. Raymond. The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary. 1999.


What is Open Source Software?

• Several characteristics– Free to download and use– Access to and ability to modify source code– Licenses that govern use

• Free software is software that is distributed with a license that authorizes its users to run the software for any purpose, to redistribute copies of, and to examine, study, and modify the source code.– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Free_Software


Open source definition

• Open Source Initiative provides a definition focused on ten criteria http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd– Free Redistribution– Source Code– Derived Works– Integrity of The Author's Source Code– No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups– No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor– Distribution of License– License Must Not Be Specific to a Product– License Must Not Restrict Other Software– License Must Be Technology-Neutral


For our purposes, OSS …

• Is software that is available free of charge to download and use

• Provides access to the source code and allows modifications to the code

• Use and reuse of software and derivative work are governed by licenses– Unfortunately, the license landscape is not simple– See http://www.opensource.org/licenses/category


The study

• A review and assessment of open source software for use in learning object repositories

• Purpose: – Identify open source software (OSS) applications

and platforms that are currently being used for learning object repositories (LOR) or could serve as a platform for such repositories, and then review and assess those OSS options according to a range of criteria.


The project team

• Background using open source software• Using DSpace for a learning object repository for the

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Boardhttp://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/

Cadi LuskLIS Masters student

Jill SiewertLIS Masters student

Samuel MuwanguziInformation Science Ph.D. student


Methodology

• Identified OSS platforms/applications to review– Drupal– DSpace– eduCommons– EPrints– Fedora– Plone– Rhaptos

• Used publicly available information to develop reports on each

• Implementor interviews


Assumptions

• LOR landscape was straightforward• Each platform/application would be used in

multiple implementations of LORs• Good instances of LORs using the platforms

could be identified• People associated with the platforms would

readily review our compiled information for accuracy

• Relatively easy to solicit time with implementors

Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009

Learning object repositories

Moen 14

An E-Learning repository is a database that contains useful teaching and learning information that is available via the Internet. Users are allowed to query the database in an attempt to locate information that can help to explain and clarify various topics.

Tomer, 2008


Four core functions

1. An interface for adding content (actual objects and metadata) to the system

2. An interface for searching/browsing/retrieving content

3. A database for storing content

4. An administrative interface to facilitate collection management, configuration, preservation, and other activities


Four major components

1. A server, typically using Unix/Linux or Windows as an operating system

2. A web server (e.g., Apache or IIS and related web application tools)

3. A relational database (e.g., MySQL, DB2, Oracle, Postgres, SQL server)

4. Repository software


Typology of LOR implementations

• Digital repository application– DSpace, EPrints, Fedora

• Content management system (CMS)– Drupal– Plone

• Hybrid– eduCommons– Rhaptos


Digital repository approach

DSpace EPrints Fedora

Web ServerApache

IIS

Database SystemMySQLOracle

Operating SystemLinux

Windows


CMS approach

Drupal Plone

Web ServerApache

IIS



Windows


Hybrid approach

DrupalIslandora

Fedora

RhaptosPlone

Web ServerApache

IIS



Windows

eduCommonsPlone


DSpace

• http://www.dspace.org/• Developed for institutional repositories• Released: 2002• Current release: 1.5.2 (2009)

– Operating System: Unix-like OS (Linux, UP/UX, Solaris) or Microsoft Windows

– Database: PostgreSQL or Oracle– Web Server: Apache – Applications Server: Apache Tomcat 4.x , Jetty, or Caucho Resin– Programming Language: Java, Perl– Other Tools: Apache Maven 2.0.8 or later, Apache Ant 1.6.2 or later

• Texas Course Redesign Repository– http://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/


EPrints

• http://www.eprints.org/• Developed for institutional repositories• Released: 2000• Current release: 3.2 (2009)

– Operating System: Linux, Unix-like OS (such as OSX), Vista or XP

– Database: MySQL– Web Server: Apache– Programming Language: Perl

• Language Box– http://languagebox.eprints.org/


Fedora

• http://www.fedora-commons.org/• Flexible Extensible Digital Object Repository Architecture • Released: 2003• Current release: 3.2 (2009)

– Operating System: Unix, Linux, OSX, or Windows– Database: MySQL, Oracle, or PostgreSQL– Application Server: Tomcat 5.5.26 (included), can also be run on any

application server that implements Servlet 2.4/JSP 2.0 or higher such as Jetty or Jboss

– Programming Language: Java– Other Tools: Apache Any 1.7 or higher

• The National Science Digital Library (NSDL)– http://nsdl.org/


Drupal

• http://drupal.org/• Developed for creating web sites and web publishing• Released: 2001• Current release: 6 (2008)

– Operating System: Unix, Linux, BSD, OSX, or Windows– Database: My SQL 4. 1 or higher, PostgreSQL 7.4 or higher– Application Server: Apache 1.3, 2.x or Microsoft IIS– Programming Language: PHP 5.2 or higher

• Joining Educational Mathematics– http://jem-thematic.net/

• Penn State University Open Educational Resources– http://open.ems.psu.edu/


Plone

• http://plone.org/• Developed as a usability layer to work with the Zope

Content Management Framework• Released: 2000• Current release: 3.2 (2009)

– Operating System: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or Solaris– Database: Zope Object Database (built in)– Application Server: Zope 2.10.x– Programming Language: Python 2.4 or 2.5

• Open Educational Resources (OER) Commons– http://www.oercommons.org/


eduCommons

• http://educommons.com/• Designed to facilitate the creation and maintenance of

OpenCourseWare projects • Released: 2001• Current release: 3.1 (2009) (3.2 coming soon)

– Operating System: Linux or OSX– Database: Zope Object Database (built in)– Application Server: Zope 2.10.5– Content Management System (CMS): Plone 3.0.6– Programming Language: Python 2.4.4

• Open.Michigan Educational Resources– http://michigan.educommons.net/

• University of Notre Dame OpenCourseWare – http://ocw.nd.edu/


Rhaptos

• http://rhaptos.org/• Created to facilitate the creation and publication (both digitally

and in print) of learning materials and scholarly works • Released: 2005 (although under development and

implementation for longer period)• Current release: 2.0

– Operating System: Linux (Debian or Ubuntu) – Database: PostgresSQL 8.2 and/or CVS Repository (to be phased out in

future development)– Application Server: Zope – Content Management system (CMS): Plone 2.5 – Programming Language: Python

• Connexions– http://cnx.org/


Technical features inventory

• Discovery• Personalization• Community and Evaluation• Meta Tagging• Content Upload &

Management• Aggregation and De-

aggregation• Digital Rights Management• Presentation

• Integration and Interoperability

• Installation and Support• System Considerations and

Specifications• Platform Profile• Desktop Requirements• Training• Documentation/Help• Scalability

Primary and Secondary Categories


Technical features reports

• For each platform/application– Overview narrative– Technical features inventory

• Technical features comparison report

• Report structure can be used as guide– Identifies salient features to consider– Provides a structure for you to use to document

your information gathering on OSS options


Technical features reports issues

• Used publicly available documentation– OSS documentation problematic– Typically no Sales Rep to send an RFI to– Moving target of version releases– Difficulty in getting reviews of our reports from key

people in the development community– Mixed results from the implementors we interviewed

to review the reports


Talking with the implementors

• DSpace– Wiseplus

• Drupal – JEM– Penn State Open Educational Resources

• eduCommons (Plone)– Open Michigan– NotreDame

• Eprints – Language Box

Moen 31


Focus and function vary

• Storing and describing learning materials

• Storing metadata about learning materials

• Digital workspace for:– Storing and describing– Authoring and publishing– Reuse in new materials

Moen 32


Focus and function vary

• Continuum of content

Moen 33

Discrete Learning Objects/Assets

Full Courses

• Intended users– Content creators– Instructors and instructional designers– Students– Others


OSS choice drivers

• Mandate– Funding agencies encouraged/required

• Personal/organizational preference• Pilot project

– Quick and low-cost way to get started

• Flexibility and customization• Financial priorities

– Allocate funds to course development rather than system

• System already implemented

Moen 34


Benefits of OSSNote: Some platform specific

• No annual license/maintenance fee

• Community of developers– Being able to follow what is in the pipeline– Problems often well-documented– Assistance when needed – Solutions often quickly developed

• Access to the code– Functionality can be expanded– Modularity for extensions

Moen 35


Is OSS for you?

• OSS is free, but not as in free beer!– Low-cost for out-of-box implementation

• Openness to open source– Organizational attitude – Central IT attitude

• Customizing and enhancing– From simple configuration – sys admin, look and

feel, metadata choices– To adding functionality -- programmer

Moen 36


Where are we with LORs?

• Do we know the problem(s) we are trying to solve?

• Are we identifying and understanding the problems as we do our implementations?

• Who are we serving?

• Do we make assumptions about potential users without really understanding what they want?

• These are questions that go beyond OSS…Moen 37


Final thoughts

• Options available

• Requirements should drive decision

• More projects than production systems

• Problem space still evolving

• OSS offers flexibility to address evolving understanding

• Sakai-like approach for a LOR-specific OSS solution?

Moen 38


Platforms/Applications

• DSpace http://www.dspace.org/

• EPrints http://www.eprints.org/

• Fedora http://www.fedora-commons.org/

• Drupal http://drupal.org/

• Plone http://plone.org/

• eduCommons http://educommons.com/

• Rhaptos http://rhaptos.org/


Implementations

• DSpace– Texas Course Redesign Repository

• http://txcdk1.unt.edu/THECBLOR_v3/

– Wiseplus• http://wiseplus.exp.sis.pitt.edu:8080/dspace/

• Eprints– Language Box

• http://languagebox.eprints.org/

– EdShare• http://www.edshare.soton.ac.uk/

Moen 40


Implementations

• Drupal– Joining Educational Mathematics

• http://jem-thematic.net/

– Penn State University Open Educational Resources• http://open.ems.psu.edu/

• Plone– OER Commons

• http://www.oercommons.org/

– Teach Sustainability• http://www.teachsustainability.com.au/

Moen 41


Implementations• eduCommons

– Open.Michigan Educational Resources• http://michigan.educommons.net/

– University of Notre Dame OpenCourseWare • http://ocw.nd.edu/

• Rhaptos– Connexions

• http://cnx.org/

• Fedora– The National Science Digital Library (NSDL)

• http://nsdl.org/

– Open Learning Exchange Nepal• http://www.olenepal.org/about.html

Moen 42


References

• Susan W. Alman & Christinger Tomer. Building Repositories for Digital Learning Objects: Challenges, Issues, and Opportunities. 2008.– http://www.sloanconsortium.org/conference/proceedings/

2008/1225838630264.pptx

• Eric S. Raymond. The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary. 1999.– http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/

cathedral-bazaar/

Documents

Digital Repositories for Learning -- Vancouver, BC -- August 11, 2009 Moen 1 Open Source Software for Learning Object Repositories A Study Commissioned