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{{Navigate|Prev=Preface|Curr=A toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS tools|Next=Installing Ubuntu - creating the FOSS platform}}
 
{{Navigate|Prev=Preface|Curr=A toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS tools|Next=Installing Ubuntu - creating the FOSS platform}}
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In a society that is becoming increasingly [[wikipedia:Digital|digital]], it is no surprise that educational processes are also getting impacted by digital technologies (popularly known as [[wikipedia:Information_and_communications_technology|Information and Communication Technologies]], or simply ICTs). A significant development in the educational domain has been the rise of [[wikipedia:Open_educational_resources|Open Educational Resources]] (OER), with the promise of delivering quality education. An essentially, digital phenomenon, OER seek to leverage the possibilities of digital methods for accessing, creating, modifying and sharing educational content.  OER has redefined the copyright regime, stimulating the sharing of content with license to re-use, modify and share / publish.
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In this chapter, we will briefly discuss what is OER and how you can use this toolkit will help you to create, re-purpose and publish OER.
While the advantages seem obvious in terms of increased availability of curricular materials and reducing costs of education, research suggests that OER seems to have not achieved its potential for adoption<ref>The term ‘adoption’ of OER is used in this note in a comprehensive manner, to include creation, use, re-use, revision, re-mixing,retaining and re-distributing.</ref>.
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=== What is OER ===
 
=== What is OER ===
 
This toolkit proposes to enable teachers to use FOSS tools to create and re-purpose OER. .  The term Open Educational Resource (OER) was coined at the 2002 UNESCO Forum on Open Courseware. Subsequently, its definition has been updated to the following:
 
This toolkit proposes to enable teachers to use FOSS tools to create and re-purpose OER. .  The term Open Educational Resource (OER) was coined at the 2002 UNESCO Forum on Open Courseware. Subsequently, its definition has been updated to the following:
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On your Ubuntu GNU/Linux system you can download innumerable free and open source applications  (<u>Applications -> Other -> Software Centre</u>) in different domains/areas, from the Internet. For instance, you could type 'mathematics' and see all the mathematics software applications available in the Ubuntu GNU/Linux repository, which you can download and install on your computer.
 
On your Ubuntu GNU/Linux system you can download innumerable free and open source applications  (<u>Applications -> Other -> Software Centre</u>) in different domains/areas, from the Internet. For instance, you could type 'mathematics' and see all the mathematics software applications available in the Ubuntu GNU/Linux repository, which you can download and install on your computer.
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===About the tool-kit===
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The “''Hands-On Toolkit for Teachers to Create, Re-purpose and Publish Open Educational Resources (OER) using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)''”, aims to promote the creation, re-purposing and publishing of OER using FOSS applications. The toolkit has been developed by [http://ITforChange.net IT for Change,] an organization working with teachers and school systems on the use of FOSS for OER creation. The development of this course material was supported by the [http://col.org Commonwealth of Learning], Burnaby, Canada as part of the Grant #2015-2585 generously made by The [[wikipedia:William_and_Flora_Hewlett_Foundation|William and Flora Hewlett Foundation]], USA
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This toolkit is aimed at native and non-English native speakers, hence the language has been kept simple and accessible.
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The toolkit is available in two formats. One is this ''print edition'', (soft copy through a  PDF format, which you can use for printing, if you need a hard copy). The second format is an ''on-line edition'' in the form of a “Wiki book<ref>WikiBooks is a MediaWiki extension for creating collaborative books, this is a e-book creation platform. MediaWiki is the software used by Wikipedia, the world’s most popular encyclopedia.</ref>”. The Wiki book edition will also be shared ''off-line on a DVD'', with the printed version of the tool-kit, which will enable user to read the digital version without internet connectivity.
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Along with the tool-kit, a ''custom software distribution'' which contains the FOSS desktop tools covered in the handbook is shared as a DVD, which you should install on your computer, to create OER.
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In line with the philosophy of OER, the toolkit is released under the CC-BY license, and the custom software distribution is released under the General Public License (GPL). The CC BY license enables you to make copies of the tool-kit with or without modifications and distribute it for profit or not for profit. The GPL license enables you to make copies of the software applications with or without modifications. Modifications if any, can be distributed only as FOSS.
      
====How to use this tool-kit====
 
====How to use this tool-kit====
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You are now ready to begin using the tool-kit. The first step is to ensure you have the software applications required.
 
You are now ready to begin using the tool-kit. The first step is to ensure you have the software applications required.
 
====Install the custom distribution of Ubuntu GNU/Linux on your computer====
 
====Install the custom distribution of Ubuntu GNU/Linux on your computer====
You need access to the FOSS applications taught in this tool-kit, for which you should install the ''custom software distribution'' provided. The distribution includes the Ubuntu GNU/Linux free and open source operating system which can be installed as a full fledged software system on your computer. You can install it ‘side-by-side’ with any other operating system on your computer as well. A video on installing this custom distribution is available [https://youtube.com/watch?v=nBD4KqH5CT8 here].
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You need access to the FOSS applications taught in this tool-kit, for which you should install the ''custom software distribution'' provided. The distribution includes the Ubuntu GNU/Linux free and open source operating system which can be installed as a full fledged software system on your computer. You can install it ‘side-by-side’ with any other operating system on your computer as well. In the next chapter, we will explain how you can install Ubuntu on your computer.
    
====Install the FOSS applications on your computer with Windows operating system====
 
====Install the FOSS applications on your computer with Windows operating system====
Many of the desktop applications discussed in this toolkit are also available on the [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Windows|Microsoft Windows]] operating system. You can download the software installation kit (.exe files)  from the internet and install on the Windows operating system, see [[Teachers' toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS/Annexure|Annexure]] for information.
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Many of the desktop applications discussed in this toolkit are also available on the [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Windows|Microsoft Windows]] operating system. You can download the software installation kit (.exe files)  from the internet and install on the Windows operating system, see [[Teachers' toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS/Annexure|Annexure]] for information to access the software for free download.
    
====Install the FOSS applications on your mobile phone====
 
====Install the FOSS applications on your mobile phone====
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====Create your own OER as a part of using this tool-kit====
 
====Create your own OER as a part of using this tool-kit====
 
Identify an area which you are very keen to learn more about, or where you feel you need resources. Your own work as a teacher may require you to have materials for classroom teaching-learning processes, or for sharing with colleagues for mutual learning, or simply for your self-development. It will be much more meaningful learning, if as a part of using this tool-kit, you could access, create, re-purpose and publish a OER on a topic which you want to learn/ know more about. The topic could be from the subject you teach (a science topic like ‘Light’ or a mathematics topic such as ‘number system’ or a geography topic as ‘forests’), or a larger issue in education ('Challenges of teaching in inner-city public schools'), or larger social issue ('global warming'). You could create this OER in English or in your own native language (where the need for such an OER may be even greater).
 
Identify an area which you are very keen to learn more about, or where you feel you need resources. Your own work as a teacher may require you to have materials for classroom teaching-learning processes, or for sharing with colleagues for mutual learning, or simply for your self-development. It will be much more meaningful learning, if as a part of using this tool-kit, you could access, create, re-purpose and publish a OER on a topic which you want to learn/ know more about. The topic could be from the subject you teach (a science topic like ‘Light’ or a mathematics topic such as ‘number system’ or a geography topic as ‘forests’), or a larger issue in education ('Challenges of teaching in inner-city public schools'), or larger social issue ('global warming'). You could create this OER in English or in your own native language (where the need for such an OER may be even greater).
   
==== How to license your work as OER ====
 
==== How to license your work as OER ====
 
After you create or re-purpose your OER, it is essential to provide the necessary license to ensure it is OER. If you do not specify any licence, by default, it is treated as having the traditional 'All rights reserved' copyright, which means others will not be able to freely re-use or revise the same.  
 
After you create or re-purpose your OER, it is essential to provide the necessary license to ensure it is OER. If you do not specify any licence, by default, it is treated as having the traditional 'All rights reserved' copyright, which means others will not be able to freely re-use or revise the same.