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

Mon Apr 3 13:22:56 AEST 2017

G'Day Mark,
Having these as open sourced materials for the larger community is a
massive value add for your proposal. What is the possibility of that
happening from your perspective?

On 3 April 2017 at 12:57, Brenda Aynsley <bpa at iss.net.au> wrote:

> 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 30th 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 <+61%20412%20662%20988> || Phone:+61(0)8 7127 0107 <+61%208%207127%200107>
> Skype/Yahoo/Twitter: baynsley
> Mobile when I am out of Australia: +61(0)489 958 851 <+61%20489%20958%20851>
>
>
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>
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