[Linux-aus] Grant Application: Promotion of FOSS in undergraduate Computer Science, Information Technology and Software Engineering degrees at the University of Newcastle

[Brenda Aynsley]

On 03/04/17 12:06, Mark Wallis wrote:
>
> Hello everyone.
>
> Please find below a grant application for your consideration. Please 
> feel free to direct any feedback/queries to myself via the list.
>
> *Project Name*: Promotion of FOSS in undergraduate Computer Science, 
> Information Technology and Software Engineering degrees at the 
> University of Newcastle
>
> *Chief Investigator: *Dr. Mark Wallis, Distributed Computing Research 
> Group, University of Newcastle (mark.wallis at newcastle.edu.au)
>
> *Project Aim/Description:*
>
> **
>
> The University of Newcastle currently offers under-graduate Bachelor 
> degrees in Computer Science, Information Technology and Software 
> Engineering. Courses from these degrees are taught from the School of 
> Electrical Engineering and Computing across our Callaghan (Newcastle), 
> Central Coast and Singapore campuses.
>
> There is currently a low level of FOSS software promotion within the 
> course material used to teach these degrees. Worked examples, 
> workshops and tutorial material is strongly Microsoft Windows focused, 
> primarily due to this being the operating system installed in all 
> computer labs at the university. The effect is that students feel less 
> inclined to explore FOSS in UON courses such as Programming, Operating 
> Systems, Compiler Design and Computer Networks.
>
> We propose to undertake a review of the course material being 
> presented in the first 2 years of the above degrees. The review will 
> identify all worked examples, tutorials and workshops which are 
> presenting closed-sourced centric solutions. The outcome of this 
> review will be a course development plan which aims to develop 
> alternative or extended course material that covers alternate FOSS 
> options available to students. The project will hire one undergraduate 
> student to work with the chief investigator to develop the new course 
> content during 2017, ready for students in 2018.
>
> Examples of the course material that will be generated includes:
>
>   * Worked-examples under Linux, rather than Microsoft Windows (for
>     example, instructions showing students how to install and
>     configure a compiler)
>   * Short 5-minute video’s presenting FOSS alternatives to tools
>     presented in the primary course material
>   * Short 5–minute video’s providing context of how the course relates
>     to Open Source (for example, a case study of Linux Kernel
>     development to be presented during the Operating Systems course)
>
> To comply with pre-existing copyright, any existing course material 
> which is expanded to include content generated by this grant will 
> remain under the existing copyright terms. Any new content, such as 
> the video presentations, will be released under a Creative Commons 
> license.
>
> The primary aim is to promote FOSS earlier in undergraduate degree’s 
> to ensure that students graduate with an increased knowledge of the 
> FOSS environment.
>
> *Project Milestones:*
>
> **
>
>   * Milestone 1 - Draft of the course development plan distributed to
>     UON stakeholders (see over) – 1 June 2017
>   * Milestone 2 - Final course development plan for signoff by UON
>     stakeholders – 1 July 2017
>   * Milestone 3 - Draft material presented to Course Co-ordinators for
>     review – 1 October 2017
>   * Milestone 4 – Final material presented to Course Co-ordinators for
>     signoff – 1 November 2017
>
> **
>
> *Project Review/Success:*
>
> Between Milestone 3 and Milestone 4 the course material will be 
> iteratively developed with UON students who have previously completed 
> the target courses. Focus groups will be run with these students, 
> asking them to review the material and then complete a short 
> questionnaire that will collect metrics on the following:
>
>   * The quality of the material
>   * The relevance of the material to the course and their degree
>   * Whether they believe the material will encourage them to
>     personally investigate FOSS in more detail
>
> The results of this survey will be anonymous and used to gauge the 
> success of the project.
>
> Pending approval by the UoN Ethics committee, these results will be 
> made available and be used to gauge the success of the project.
>
> *Project Costs:*
>
> **
>
> The chief investigator will provide in-kind support of time and 
> expertise for the management of the grant and the co-development of 
> new course material. An undergraduate student will be hired on a 
> casual basis to co-develop the course material and manage the 
> testing/feedback process.
>
> An estimated 22 weeks at 5 hours per week will be allocated to the 
> undergraduate student. The undergraduate student will be employed at 
> HEW 5.1 casual rate of $43.77 per hour. With UON on-costs (16.2%) and 
> indirect research costs (25%) this equates to a total of $6994.
>
> We are requesting a grant of $7000 to cover these costs. There will be 
> no additional costs associated with the project. All costs will be 
> incurred by the 30^th September 2017 as per grant requirements.
>
> *Project Management and Reporting:*
>
> **
>
> The UON already has in place a reporting structure for all grants. 
> Mid-way and final written reports will be provided to the Linux 
> Australia Council.
>
> *Project Team:*
>
> **
>
> The chief investigator for this project is Dr Mark Wallis. Mark is a 
> member of Linux Australia and the Distributed Computing Research Group 
> at UON and has been involved in teaching since 2010. Mark has been 
> involved in various FOSS projects over the years, including the 
> Newcastle Linux Users Group and kernel driver development for the 
> Ralink 802.11 wireless chipset. Mark will be the key person 
> responsible for this project.
>
> The undergraduate student will be hired from our pool of 
> undergraduates that we use for teaching tutorials and workshops.
>
> Key stakeholders for this project include Course Co-ordinators who are 
> responsible for delivery of the courses, Program Convenors who are 
> responsible for each degrees, the Deputy HOS(Academic), Head of 
> School, the School Industrial Advisory Board and student representatives.
>
>

I like the notion put forward by Mark.

How certain are we that these resources will not sit on a shelf and 
gather dust?  That is what likelihood is there that students will use  
them or be given the opportunity to use them?

cheers

brenda

-- 
Brenda Aynsley OAM, FACS CP, ACS Honorary Life Member
ACS Immediate Past President 2016 & 2017
Chair IFIP International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3) 2011-17
Senior Vice President, Professions Australia 2015-2016

ACS Partnering for Success

Mobile:+61(0)412 662 988 || Phone:+61(0)8 7127 0107
Skype/Yahoo/Twitter: baynsley
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