Adopting Open-Source Software Applications in U.S. Higher Education: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of the Literature

Abstract

Higher Education institutions in the United States are considering Open Source software applications such as the Moodle and Sakai course management systems and the Kuali financial system to build integrated learning environments that serve both academic and administrative needs. Open Source is presumed to be more flexible and less costly than commercial software. This article reviews the literature from the fields of Software Engineering and Education to determine the state of the current body of knowledge around the key drivers of Open Source adoption. The author discusses gaps in the literature and identifies opportunities for more rigorous research to measure the effectiveness of Open Source software in creating a balance between sound pedagogy and business efficiencies.

Student and Staff Perspectives on the Use of Big Data in the Tertiary Education Sector: A Scoping Review and Reflection on the Ethical Issues

“…Although it can be argued that “students suffer most from the inequities of the system” (Korn, 1969; Roberts et al, 2016), student leadership in curriculum development is undergoing a transformation, albeit slowly (Darwin, 2017), and student satisfaction is a strong driver in academic policy and practice (Thomas et al, 2017). The risk, as Williams van Rooij (2009) commented on the early evangelism of information technology staff in universities, is that technological capacity, rather than student learning, will drive data analytics in the tertiary sector.…”

“…As the volume and variety of student data held by universities have grown, so has the use of these data. Universities have begun to use routinely collected data to monitor and predict student activity and performance (Colvin et al, 2015;Culnan & Carlin, 2009;Heath, 2014;Newland & Trueman, 2017;Waller & Fawcett, 2013;van Barneveld et al, 2012) with specialist societies (see https:// www.solaresearch.org/about/) and journals (Gasevic et al, 2014) established over the past decade to support and extend these activities. In particular, learning analytics are being used internationally in quality assurance and quality improvement, to enable and support student retention and success initiatives, and to target students thought to be at risk of poor academic progress based on known demographic or behavioral characteristics (Sclater et al, 2016).…”

Predicting Students’ Behavioral Intention to Use Open Source Software: A Combined View of the Technology Acceptance Model and Self-Determination Theory

“…Indeed, many governments are adapting their regulations or investing in new infrastructures to promote OSS use in education. For instance, OSS adoption in higher education has been popular in the United States [14]. In a similar way, the government of Andalusia (Spain), which exercises regulatory and executive power in different areas, including education, has approved some initiatives to boost the use of OSS in primary and secondary education [15].…”

Visualizing Behavioral Data from a 3D Virtual Learning Environment: A Preliminary Study

“…To illustrate, in 2007 nearly four million students in higher education were enrolled in online courses (Allen & Seaman, 2008). Blended and web-facilitated courses are also being implemented widely in higher education contexts (van Rooij, 2009). Rapid growth of online offerings is also apparent in K-12 education, with estimates of over one million students having taken part in online education during the 2007-8 school year (Picciano & Seaman, 2008).…”