Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
Understanding Sustained Participation in Open Source Software Projects
Journal of Management Information Systems
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The GNU/Linux operating system is one of most familiar examples of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). The Free and Open Source Software paradigm encourages a sense of community and participation, building upon shared knowledge. The same tenets of collaboration and shared knowledge are espoused by academia and the educational system [8]. However, there is little discussion of the GNU/Linux community and the FOSS framework in much of the K-16 education system. If identified as a participatory learning community, the GNU/Linux community and its utilization of the FOSS framework would represent a stark contrast to the proprietary, black box software and software practices currently adopted in much of K-16 education. Therefore, researchers conducted an online survey to determine if the GNU/Linux community exhibited significant elements of the legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) learning process. This research does not focus on specific units of learning using GNU/Linux but rather is a more general investigation of a possible GNU/Linux community to determine whether more specific research evaluating the educational efficacy of FOSS and the FOSS framework is warranted. This paper presents an analysis of survey data provided by 4603 respondents reflecting on learning within the context of GNU/Linux and other FOSS communities. The intent of the paper is to facilitate an evaluation of GNU/Linux and its properties as a participatory learning community by educational technologists, educators, education administrators, and other education stakeholders. In this paper, researchers analyze data to determine whether the GNU/Linux community exhibits significant characteristics of a community engaged in the process of legitimate peripheral participation. Researchers then identify some of the more significant correlations identified among participatory activities within the GNU/Linux community and learning. Lastly, researchers present community members' perceptions of learning within the GNU/Linux community and their beliefs regarding the possible role(s) of GNU/Linux and the FOSS framework within the K-16 educational paradigm.