Open Source/Open Course Learning: Lessons for Educators from Free and Open Source Software
Robert Stephenson discusses how free/open source software (FOSS) communities can provide a model for developing, sharing, using, and improving courseware. As FOSS demonstrates, bottom-up approaches to community building are more effective than top-down approaches, and an active community of practice is the key to success. Similarly, as envisioned by Stephenson, an open course community is a knowledge ecosystem that includes all stakeholders: courseware developers, educators, and students.
