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===Free and open technology environment===

===Free and open technology environment===

An important advantage of the digital format, is the negligible marginal cost of production of digital resources, whether software or content. [[wikipedia:George_Bernard_Shaw|George Bernard Shaw]] has been popularly believed to have said that if two people have an apple each and they exchange their apples, then each will still have only one apple. However if both have an idea each, and exchange these ideas, then each of them will end up with two ideas. This is applicable to digital resources as well. If digital resources are allowed to be freely shared, modified and shared again, then it can result in a resource rich environment. This is the idea that has bolstered the Free and Open Source Software and the Open Educational Resources movements, which represent the 'code' and 'content' components of a free and open digital technology environment. FOSS can be seen as the 'open' means, with which you can create 'open' OER. FOSS and OER should thus be seen as natural allies; which can provide a counter to proprietary software and proprietary content.

====Democratizing OER production and consumption====

 

An important advantage of the digital format, is the negligible marginal cost of production of digital resources, whether software or content. [[wikipedia:George_Bernard_Shaw|George Bernard Shaw]] has been popularly believed to have said that if two people have an apple each and they exchange their apples, then each will still have only one apple. However if both have an idea each, and exchange these ideas, then each of them will end up with two ideas. This is applicable to digital resources as well. If digital resources are allowed to be freely shared, modified and shared again, then it can result in a resource rich environment. This is the idea that has bolstered the Free and Open Source Software and the Open Educational Resources movements, which represent the 'code' and 'content' components of a free and open digital technology environment. FOSS can be seen as the 'open' means, with which you can create 'open' OER. FOSS and OER should thus be seen as natural allies; which can provide a democratising counter to proprietary software and proprietary content.

====Democratising OER production and consumption====

Popularizing the use of FOSS applications amongst writers, editors and course developers can enable the larger and wider development of OER, and in richer formats. This process can help us move from a paradigm where OER is created by 'experts' for all, to a more participatory process where many more people can participate in OER production and exchange. Every teacher usually has to make or customise materials for her teaching-learning. ''We hope that access to a free and open technology environment will encourage every teacher to become an OER creator, an OER 're-purposer' and an OER publisher.''

Popularizing the use of FOSS applications amongst writers, editors and course developers can enable the larger and wider development of OER, and in richer formats. This process can help us move from a paradigm where OER is created by 'experts' for all, to a more participatory process where many more people can participate in OER production and exchange. Every teacher usually has to make or customise materials for her teaching-learning. ''We hope that access to a free and open technology environment will encourage every teacher to become an OER creator, an OER 're-purposer' and an OER publisher.''

==== Facilitating Technological knowledge ====

==== Facilitating Technological knowledge ====

Many, if not most users of ICT, restrict their use to a few software applications. However, if you are able to become familiar with many more applications, over time you will acquire a 'technology felicity', which will enhance your comfort and confidence in navigating the digital world. The FOSS universe has thousands of applications, you will find many useful, in your own work. Often you will find more than one application in an area. Your learning need not be restricted to just one application in any area, learning more applications will increase your expertise and confidence. For instance, even in the area of text editing, you can familiarise yourself with LibreOffice Writer, gedit, KWrite etc. This process of learning multiple applications in an area will give you confidence to explore any new application and learn its features on your own. Such '[[wikipedia:Meta_learning|learning to learn]]' ability can be a useful outcome from exploring multiple applications, without inhibition, on your own.  

Many, if not most users of ICT, restrict their use to a few software applications. However, if you are able to become familiar with many more applications, over time you will acquire a 'technology felicity', which will enhance your comfort and confidence in navigating the digital world. The FOSS universe has thousands of applications, you will find many useful, in your own work. Often you will find more than one application in an area. Your learning need not be restricted to just one application in any area, learning more applications will increase your expertise and confidence. For instance, even in the area of text editing, you can familiarise yourself with LibreOffice Writer, gedit, KWrite etc. This process of learning multiple applications in an area will give you confidence to explore any new application and learn its features on your own. Such '[[wikipedia:Meta_learning|learning to learn]]' ability can be a useful outcome from exploring multiple applications, without inhibition, on your own and the FOSS world provides several applications in most areas.  

On your Ubuntu GNU/Linux system you can download innumerable free and open source applications  (<u>Applications -> System Tools -> Software</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, through the 'software centre', you can download innumerable free and open source applications  (<u>Applications -> System Tools -> Software</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.

===How to use this tool-kit===

===How to use this tool-kit===

The “hands-on toolkit for teachers to create, re-purpose and publish Open Educational Resources (OER) using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)” discusses the creation and re-purposing of OER in three separate chapters, dealing with text OER, image and animations OER, and audio and video OER.  

The “hands-on toolkit for teachers to create, re-purpose and publish Open Educational Resources (OER) using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)” discusses the creation and re-purposing of OER in three separate chapters, dealing with text OER, image and animations OER, and audio and video OER.  

Each chapter begins with information on commonly used open repositories for that resource format. ''In creating OER, keeping with the OER principle of ‘give and take’, it is necessary to first check for OER that is already available for the topic you are working on, and use these OER as an input to your own creation processes. Many find it easy to create based on what they currently know, ignoring existing OER. However, it is an important academic principle to actively build on existing knowledge, hence accessing available OER is the first step in creating OER.''

Each chapter begins with information on commonly used open repositories for that resource format. ''In creating OER, keeping with the OER principle of ‘give and take’, it is necessary to first check for OER that is already available for the topic you are working on, and use these OER as an input to your own creation processes. Many find it easy to create based on what they currently know, ignoring existing OER. However, it is an important academic principle to actively build on existing knowledge, hence accessing available OER is the first step in creating OER. Re-purposing OER refers to modifying existing OER for meeting new purposes.'' Re-purposing is perhaps the simplest method to make more OER available for different needs.

Subsequently, in each chapter, the features of a few applications that will enable you to create and re-purpose OER are explained. The selection of the tools from its universe is based on factors such as its popularity, ease of use, level of community support currently available.

Subsequently, in each chapter, the features of a few applications that will enable you to create and re-purpose OER are explained. The selection of the tools from its universe is based on factors such as its popularity, ease of use, level of community support currently available.

In order to provide a step by step guide through real-world examples on how to create and re-purpose OER, the toolkit takes a case of “How to create an OER on Digital storytelling”. Over the three chapters, the toolkit will create and re-purpose OER for digital story telling, in text, graphic and audio visual formats. This is followed by a chapter on ‘Publishing OER’, to help you publish your OER on-line, for re-use by others.

In order to provide a step by step guide through real-world examples on how to create and re-purpose OER, the toolkit takes a case of “How to create an OER on Digital storytelling”. Over the three chapters, the toolkit will create and re-purpose OER for digital story telling, in text, graphic and audio visual formats. This is followed by a chapter on ‘Publishing OER’, to help you publish your OER on-line, for re-use by others.

The best way to use a toolkit is through actual [[wikipedia:Experiential_learning|hands-on]] experiences. You too should identify a topic (or two), in which you are interested to create /re-purpose OER.  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.  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'). 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 or need teaching resources.

The best way to use a toolkit is through actual [[wikipedia:Experiential_learning|hands-on]] experiences. You too should identify a topic (or two), in which you are interested to create /re-purpose OER.  Your own work as a teacher may require you to source / make materials for classroom teaching-learning processes, or you may want to share your ideas and thoughts, as a resource, with your colleagues for mutual learning, or you may simply want to create a resource for your self-development.

As we develop the OER on Digital storytelling over this toolkit, accessing available OER and using the different FOSS applications, you too should develop your OER along the same lines. You could create this OER in English or in your own native language (where the need for such an OER may be even greater).

The topic could be from the subject(s) 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'). 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 or need teaching resources.

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. In the next chapter, we will explain how you can install Ubuntu 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 [[wikipedia:Ubuntu_(operating_system)|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====

Most 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 free software on Windows.

Most 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 (executable files or '.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 free software on Windows. Typically, double-clicking on the executable file will launch an installation wizard, which will take you through the installation process step by step.  

====Install the FOSS applications on your mobile phone====

====Install the FOSS applications on your mobile phone====

You can install the FOSS applications discussed in the tool-kit, on your mobile phone (requires [[wikipedia:Android_(operating_system)|Android]] operating system),  using the link for the app installer for each app, see [[Teachers' toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS/Annexure|Annexure]] for information. The app can be installed using [https://play.google.com/store?hl=en Google Play Store] or [https://f-droid.org/ FDroid]. The range of possibilities in creating and re-purposing OER on the mobile phone is likely to be  relatively lesser than on the desktop in many cases.

You can install the FOSS applications discussed in the tool-kit, on your mobile phone (running on an [[wikipedia:Android_(operating_system)|Android]] operating system),  using the link for the app installer for each app, see [[Teachers' toolkit for creating and re-purposing OER using FOSS/Annexure|Annexure]] for more information on these apps. The app can be installed using [https://play.google.com/store?hl=en Google Play Store] or [https://f-droid.org/ FDroid]. The range of possibilities in creating and re-purposing OER on the mobile phone is likely to be  relatively lesser than on the desktop in many cases.

====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 for you 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 for you 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.  

====Assumption about the user of this tool-kit====

====Assumption about the user of this tool-kit====

The toolkit assumes that you have a basic comfort in using computers, you can start and shut down a desktop computer and have a basic familiarity with the commonly used applications on a computer, such as file explorer, web browser and text editor. The toolkit assumes similar basic comfort in using a feature mobile phone (aka ‘smart phone’).  

The toolkit assumes that you have a basic comfort in using computers, you can start and shut down a desktop computer and have a basic familiarity with the commonly used applications on a computer, such as file explorer, web browser and text editor. The toolkit assumes similar basic comfort in using a feature mobile phone (aka ‘smart phone’).  

The toolkit also assumes that you are aware about the concept of OER and familiar with the copyright / licensing requirements of OER. If not, you can read the [https://www.col.org/resources/basic-guide-open-educational-resources-oer A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)] book or undergo a two [http://tell.colvee.org/mod/scorm/view.php?id=196 hour course on OER], from the [https://col.org Commonwealth of Learning].

The toolkit also assumes that you are aware about the concept of OER and familiar with the copyright / licensing requirements of OER. If not, you can read the [https://www.col.org/resources/basic-guide-open-educational-resources-oer A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)] book or undergo a two [http://tell.colvee.org/mod/scorm/view.php?id=196 hour course on OER], from the [https://col.org Commonwealth of Learning].

===Help===

====Help====

You can any time access this tool-kit, off-line or through the on-line Wiki repository to learn the FOSS tools to create, re-purpose and publish OER.

You can any time access this tool-kit, off-line or through the on-line Wiki repository to learn the FOSS tools to create, re-purpose and publish OER.

'''References'''

'''References'''

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