Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


New Community Founded To Help Schools Exploit Open Source

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/08/10

Jasig, a consortium that sponsors open source projects for higher education, has started a new community of practice explicitly focused on helping institutions understand how to exploit open source software. The "2-3-98" project is intended to provide self-support for administrators, managers, and practitioners that want to use open initiatives in order to reduce costs and increase choice, the organizers said in a statement. Participants will be part of a mailing list, access a wiki, contribute to white papers, and share best practices through events.

The project was announced during a conference that promotes open source in higher education. Initially, it will be organized by Patrick Masson, CTO at UMassOnline, and Ken Udas, UMassOnline CEO. UMassOnline is the online education division of the University of Massachusetts.

"The 2-3-98 Project reflects a growing recognition that openness is becoming part of a broader dialogue within many organizations," said Udas. "I believe that Jasig is doing something quite unique and valuable by providing a venue to help explore the relationships between [open source software] and the organization. It is my feeling that the exploration will lead well beyond the formal information and technology functions and extend beyond software to [open educational resources], open access research, and to open governance."

"By looking together at the risks, rewards, challenges, and methods of implementing open source applications, we hope to create a dialog that will provide insights and practice guidelines to help campuses be successful," said Jonathan Markow, Jasig's executive director.

Jasig has fostered the development of uPortal, a portal framework for higher education; Bedework, an enterprise calendar system; and CAS, an authentication system and single sign-on service.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • digital lock with circuit patterns

    IBM Announces New AI-Powered Cybersecurity Tools

    IBM has announced an expanded portfolio of AI-powered cybersecurity products, positioning the company to compete more aggressively in a rapidly evolving market where enterprises are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to defend against automated cyber threats.

  • large group of college students sitting on an academic quad

    Student Readiness: Learning to Learn

    Melissa Loble, Instructure's chief academic officer, recommends a focus on 'readiness' as a broader concept as we try to understand how to build meaningful education experiences that can form a bridge from the university to the workplace. Here, we ask Loble what readiness is and how to offer students the ability to 'learn to learn'.

  • Educational path and career development growth with neon icons for study, idea, graduation, and success

    How to Embrace Lifelong Learning as a Non-negotiable for Career Growth

    In a world shaped by rapid technological change and shifting economic forces, staying curious and committed to learning is the most powerful way to stay prepared.

  • glowing brain above stacked coins

    The Higher Ed Playbook for AI Affordability

    Fulfilling the promise of AI in higher education does not require massive budgets or radical reinvention. By leveraging existing infrastructure, embracing edge and localized AI, collaborating across institutions, and embedding AI thoughtfully across the enterprise, universities can move from experimentation to impact.