Last semester at school, Ubuntu started to see its way onto the laptops of some students in my program. At that time, students started asking questions about Linux, questions came up about all the new applications that were available, and as the questions continued it became clear that Linux was starting to change the students’ attitudes and the way they thought about learning.
It’s easy enough to notice that even with the small adoption rate, that students realized the possibilities available with using Linux, which was more than they had while sticking to the standard program materials which included using VB.net and MS Access, as well as other proprietary programs. The growth that the few students who installed Ubuntu went through, to me was evidence of the change that free software can bring to the culture of learning.
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2 responses to “How Free Software Changes The Educationial Culture”
yo,
how many people did you actually get to switch to Ubuntu?
Hey, since January I’ve been able to get 12 people to start using Ubuntu on either a full-time or part-time basis.
That itself has only really been through talking about it and pestering people.
It may seem a bit shallow to say that just some fancy effects can really switch people over, but I there’s no question that desktop effects are going to be a real mover and shaker for new users at the school come fall semester.