Linux as a platform

[John RIdge]

Dom:
Agree with all your points.

> Cross platform is the key.
I think Linux (Ubuntu) will be the predominant platform in UK education 
within 5 years.

Moodle is the main reason for my optimism.
It is rapidly becoming the VLE for FE and HE in the UK. (apologies for 
acronyms)
It got there from the ground up.
5 years ago it was not even a blip on the radar.

Open source, shared learning.
Works really well.
Appears to work exponentially

sorry for borrowing your soap box

john



On 10 Oct 2006, at 20:39, Andy Trevor wrote:

> Dom,
>
> lets go back to your original question.
>
> "establishing Linux as a superior platform to deliver IT to education"
>
> Currently Linux is an inferior platform to deliver IT in UK education.
>
> A bold statement from someone who makes a living from deploying Linux
> for UK education.  Let me expand.
>
> It is inferior for a number of reasons, little of which has to do with
> Linux itself.
>
> The biggest one of all is lack of good quality curriculum specific
> education applications.  The UK schools have become heavily reliant on
> software bought by ELCs.  Most of the packages are baby sitting rubbish
> but some do have real value.  Until this is addressed by ISVs 99.9% of
> these apps will stay windows only.  The trouble is they see little
> market for converting them to Linux due to the small numbers of schools
> using it as their primary delivery platform.  Schools will not deploy
> Linux due to the lack of apps.  Chicken and egg.......................
>
> Secondly,  there seems to be a lack of political will to push OSS
> forward in education.  Ourselves and colleagues speak to Becta via
> various channels and get mixed responses.  The introduction of KS3
> online (term used loosely) testing has proven to be a stumbling block
> for us in a couple of schools.  It is heavily geared to MS products,
> making OS platforms especially thin client a real issue.  Same applies
> for Mac based schools.
>
> Thirdly is the lack of will of current educators to think outside the
> box and accept change.  There are those out there who can and do, but
> they are a minority.
>
> Linux as the main delivery platform especially thin client is a
> financial and management no brainer.  It works and saves money.  The
> issue lies with the above and will continue to do so for a while yet.
> Linux installs will be the exception rather than the rule for the
> foreseeable future.
>
> The quickest way in my opinion to change this is to provide good 
> quality
> "CROSS PLATFORM" education related apps.  These will need to be
> curriculum specific in a lot of cases making a world wide suite a 
> little
> tricky.
>
> Cross platform is the key.  Take away the need for a specific platform
> and people we go for the cheapest most stable and easy to manage system
> (Linux thin client)
>
> Soapbox going away now
>
> -- 
> Regards
>
> Andy Trevor
>
> Technical Director
> Cutter Project Limited
> http://www.cutterproject.co.uk
>
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