Volume 7, Number 69 http://isedj.org/7/69/ July 2, 2009 In this issue: Open Source and Freeware – Strategic Resources for IS Pedagogical Endeavors Julian Matthew Scher New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 07102 USA Abstract: Freeware and open source resources can provide significant value to the pedagogy of IS educators, but are often overlooked in curricula decisions. Freeware and open source titles broaden the repertoire of learning objects available to the IS educator and may significantly enrich the learning environment, and provide new vistas of opportunity, at nil to minimal cost to the institution. Open source Learning Management Systems, such as Moodle, provide comparable functionality to their commercial counterparts, including WebCT, Blackboard and Webboard, but without the investment, upgrade and replacement costs normally associated with the commercial entities. Open Source and freeware titles, though not advertised and often spread by word of mouth, are available to supplement off-the-shelf software titles used to teach various courses in Information Systems, and are gaining in popularity amongst numerous budget-conscious academic institutions. In this paper, we shall explore the invaluable world of freeware and open source, provide key definitions of the relevant terminology, identify several places where freeware and open source software titles may be discovered and are available for distribution, examine some of the motivations of freeware authors, relate some of our experiences with Moodle, a particular open source Learning Management System, and provide examples of how we have integrated the concepts of freeware and open source into our instruction in some specific Information Systems courses. Keywords: freeware, open source, Learning Management System, donationware, adware, public domain, shareware, Moodle, MySQL Recommended Citation: Scher (2009). Open Source and Freeware – Strategic Resources for IS Pedagogical Endeavors. Information Systems Education Journal, 7 (69). http://isedj.org/7/69/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2007: §2334. ISSN: 1542-7382.) This issue is on the Internet at http://isedj.org/7/69/ ISEDJ 7 (69) Information Systems Education Journal 2 The Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Education Special Interest Group (EDSIG) of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP, Chicago, Illinois). • ISSN: 1545-679X. • First issue: 8 Sep 2003. • Title: Information Systems Education Journal. Variants: IS Education Journal; ISEDJ. • Phys- ical format: online. • Publishing frequency: irregular; as each article is approved, it is published immediately and constitutes a complete separate issue of the current volume. • Single issue price: free. • Subscription address: [email protected]. • Subscription price: free. • Electronic access: http://isedj.org/ • Contact person: Don Colton ([email protected]) 2009 AITP Education Special Interest Group Board of Directors Don Colton Thomas N. Janicki Kenneth A. Grant Brigham Young Univ Hawaii Univ NC Wilmington Ryerson University EDSIG President 2007-2008 EDSIG President 2009 Vice President 2009 Alan R. Peslak Kathleen M. Kelm Wendy Ceccucci Penn State Edgewood College Quinnipiac Univ Membership 2009 Treasurer 2009 Secretary 2009 CONISAR Chair 2009 Steve Reames Michael A. Smith George S. Nezlek Patricia Sendall Angelo State Univ High Point Grand Valley State Merrimack College Director 2008-2009 Director 2009 Director 2009-2010 Director 2009-2010 Li-Jen Shannon Albert L. Harris Paul M. Leidig Sam Houston State Appalachian St Grand Valley State University Director 2009-2010 JISE Editor ISECON Chair 2009 Information Systems Education Journal Editors Don Colton Thomas N. Janicki Brigham Young University Hawaii Univ of North Carolina Wilmington Editor Associate Editor Information Systems Education Journal 2007-2008 Editorial Review Board Sharen Bakke, Cleveland St Li-Jen Shannon, Sam Houston St Anene L. Nnolim, Lawrence Tech Alan T. Burns, DePaul Univ Michael A. Smith, High Point U Alan R. Peslak, Penn State Wendy Ceccucci, Quinnipiac U Robert Sweeney, South Alabama Doncho Petkov, E Connecticut Janet Helwig, Dominican Univ Stuart A. Varden, Pace Univ James Pomykalski, Susquehanna Scott Hunsinger, Appalachian Judith Vogel, Richard Stockton Steve Reames, Angelo State Kamal Kakish, Lawrence Tech Bruce A. White, Quinnipiac Univ Samuel Sambasivam, Azusa Pac Sam Lee, Texas State Univ Belle S. Woodward, S Illinois U Bruce M. Saulnier, Quinnipiac Paul Leidig, Grand Valley St Charles Woratschek, Robert Morris Patricia Sendall, Merrimack C Terri L. Lenox, Westminster Peter Y. Wu, Robert Morris Univ EDSIG activities include the publication of ISEDJ and JISAR, the organization and execution of the annual ISECON and CONISAR conferences held each fall, the publication of the Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE), and the designation and honoring of an IS Educator of the Year. • The Foundation for Information Technology Education has been the key sponsor of ISECON over the years. • The Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP) provides the corporate umbrella under which EDSIG operates. c Copyright 2009 EDSIG. In the spirit of academic freedom, permission is granted to make and distribute unlimited copies of this issue in its PDF or printed form, so long as the entire document is presented, and it is not modified in any substantial way. c 2009 EDSIG http://isedj.org/7/69/ July 2, 2009 ISEDJ 7 (69) Scher 3 Open Source and Freeware – Strategic Resources for IS Pedagogical Endeavors Julian M. Scher, Ph.D. [email protected] Department of Information Systems College of Computing Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey 07102 USA Abstract Freeware and open source resources can provide significant value to the pedagogy of IS edu- cators, but are often overlooked in curricula decisions. Freeware and open source titles broa- den the repertoire of learning objects available to the IS educator and may significantly enrich the learning environment, and provide new vistas of opportunity, at nil to minimal cost to the institution. Open source Learning Management Systems, such as Moodle, provide comparable functionality to their commercial counterparts, including WebCT, Blackboard and Webboard, but without the investment, upgrade and replacement costs normally associated with the commercial entities. Open Source and freeware titles, though not advertised and often spread by word of mouth, are available to supplement off-the-shelf software titles used to teach vari- ous courses in Information Systems, and are gaining in popularity amongst numerous budget- conscious academic institutions. In this paper, we shall explore the invaluable world of free- ware and open source, provide key definitions of the relevant terminology, identify several places where freeware and open source software titles may be discovered and are available for distribution, examine some of the motivations of freeware authors, relate some of our expe- riences with Moodle, a particular open source Learning Management System, and provide ex- amples of how we have integrated the concepts of freeware and open source into our instruc- tion in some specific Information Systems courses. Keywords : freeware, open source, Learning Management System, donationware, adware, public domain, shareware, Moodle, MySQL 1. DEFINITIONS/TERMINOLOGY The term “freeware” is due to Andrew Flu- egelman who introduced the term in the Freeware is defined as computer software 1980’s to describe a communications pack- which has been made available by the au- age called PC-Talk which he had designed thors of the freeware titles to the general and made available to the general public. He public, without any charge, registration fees characterized “freeware” as “an experiment or license fees. The distribution channel in economics more than altruism” and en- which has fostered the growth of the free- couraged users to make voluntary contribu- ware market is the World Wide Web, where tions if they found valuable the freeware freeware titles may be readily downloaded. title. It should be noted that what Fluegel- If the freeware is accompanied by source man characterized and trademarked as code which may be modified, then the free- “freeware” is commonly known today as ware is known as open source, and individu- “shareware,” and the confusion still persists. als and groups thus have the capability to Shareware, in particular, specifically obli- build on the “base” source code to tailor the gated the user to pay the shareware author application to their particular needs. a registration fee after a defined trial period c 2009 EDSIG http://isedj.org/7/69/ July 2, 2009 ISEDJ 7 (69) Scher 4 (typically 30 days), whereas freeware has no tion specified by the author(s). It should be explicit obligatory payment. In many cases, explicitly noted that such donations do not the full features of the shareware title can- “purchase” the software title for the user, or not be “unlocked” unless the user pays the provide a license. requisite registration fee, and until then, Recently, a community of software develop- that which is available to the user is often ers dedicated to donationware created a new referred to as “crippleware.” organized "twist" for those seeking to obtain As an example of one of the earliest pieces posted donationware titles at their website, of freeware, introduced in in 1995