Open Source Software in Learning Environments

Dear Colleagues,

It has been more than 30 years since the first version of the GPL license was published, providing legal support to the “shared source” movement that had been around years before. In this time, the enthusiasm and initiative of computer programmers in academic workplaces became a reference for the big actors in the software industry. At present we can find open source projects leading a wide range of fields, from small autonomous devices to supercomputing clusters, including web servers or smartphones.

The process of integrating information and communication technology solutions in educational processes also started decades ago. The initial solutions based on isolated learning management systems became integrated learning environments enabling gamification options and massive collaboration. At the same time, educational processes took advantage of the adoption of virtual worlds, serious games, and virtual/augmented reality technologies. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has fostered the adoption of cutting-edge online solutions like smart educational platforms, remote laboratories, personalized learning environments, intelligent tutoring agents, and adaptive systems.

Open source software features like customization, reduced adoption cost, interoperability, continuous improvement cycle, peer-review development methodology, and community support make it especially interesting for educational processes. This Special Issue focuses on educational experiences where free/libre/open source software provides a key value. We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review works on any educational level or context.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Open source software in education;
• Technology-enhanced learning based on open systems;
• Best practices of open collaboration for online education;
• Challenges for the adoption of open source solutions in educational contexts;
• Smart open source environments and educational trends;
• Open source methodologies and ICT education;
• Case studies of education based on open communities;
• Open source and inclusive learning;
• The role of open technologies in educational digital divide.

Prof. Dr. Manuel Palomo-Duarte
Guest Editor

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