ICTD - Having Global Impact as a Technical Woman

Engaging Students in the Free Open Source Movement Through Civic Engagement

I sort of punted on note-taking in this panel (sorry!), so I only got the questions. I think the long and short of it is that they started this really great program for undergrads to get involved in humanitarian open source projects. They worked on a number of projects - OpenMRS, and Sahana to name two. It was crazy intense, they started out with no experience, and in three weeks they went from knowing nothing to knowing everything! But the larger takeaway was that it was really encouraging for them to be working on software "for good," to be doing development for a higher cause. It was satisfying to be challenged. And it was satisfying to develop something that helped people!

www.hfoss.org


Presenters:: Trishan R de Lanerolle (Trinity College), Ralph Morelli (Trinity College) Ingrid Russell
(University of Hartford), Sarah Thayer (Trinity College), Rachel Foecking (Trinity College), Myles
Garvey (University of Hartford)

This panel discussion will provide an overview of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement,
introduce the Humanitarian-FOSS project, an NSF CPATH Project to engage students in building socially
beneficial software, and provide perspectives from both faculty and students involved in development of
humanitarian Open Source software.

Q: How does this compare to google summer of code?
A: Google summer of code is somewhat analogous to throwing money over a wall. interaction is remote. We provide training houseing and bring everyone together.

Q: Are you doing this out of the country? What are your plans for expansion? This is such a motivation!
A: We are in the process. This is a CEPA grant - 2 yr grant. We are looking to expand, working with
Brooklyn college, oregon state open source lab. Create a Habitate for Humanity model. maybe to
work in another site to work there.

Q: Work with ? Fdn. We don't have a stie. Maybe you can work with us? How do you select projects?
A: We keep it open. We see how many students we have, and it is a question of funding and
corporate funders. It depends on availabilities and mentors. we try to work on matching the students
and mentors and projects. It is something we are trying to work on developing that model.

Q: What are you looking for in terms of academic collaborators?
A: At borden college - started by evaluator. He had the ronald mcdonald house. So we went up there
worked with his students, and started working there weith the group. if you don't have a project then
we cna link you up with th ementors and get you started on projects.
A: If you want to start on some projects and course. Sometimes colleges have outreach offices that
can help you identify local organizations that have a need for software. Many collages have similar
offices.
A: We did throw them into the shark pool but we also gave them lifelines!

Student: Aptrac project. We ran into a key person problem. We try to deal with unexpected events.
We don't see that in the classroom. We're trying to work with another non-profit that is interested
in the software.
A: all the projects that are developed are released, and eventually will be hosted on software, like
aptract if it is an independent project will be released on sourceforge.

Q: Anything you can do that relates to civic engagement is important. Just a few hours every few
months is important.
A: The cause with IBM - with Savana - it hit home. Yes the system is being used. Reunited 42 families
so far. They had a small part in a large scale effort. helping!
A: To add to the comment earlier. I never worked in open source softare earlier. I tried, but never had the
motivation. I wanted to look at the source - that's how I learn. Now I feel like I have much more
knowledge on the open source movement. I installed xubuntu on my machine and now it is full of
open source software. That's another aspect of it - I felt like I was doing something - for good!
A: The non-programming side of it is attractive for both groups.

Q: How do you address maintenance and sustainability over multiple years? Especially within
an academic environment
A: If it is an open source group's project, then there's a chance that another person in the group is
willing to pick it up as well. We're working on trying to set up a resource site. But we are working
on trying to build a community around it. Manuals and guides online
A: Documentation and manuals professional-looking. Both the manual for the user and the programming
guide for how to start working on the project. All the teams were required to write both for the
entire software package.
A: We tried to stress that. It helps and hits home when they start and have to look at other code and
get started and they don't have it

Q: This seems to be directed to senior computer science students. Enrollment crisis. Have you thought about
this for intro levels?
A: We did with teaching experiences. Prof. Morelli taught this at a intro 100 level course worked a little bit
about learning about Sahana. As a sophomore.
Q: Were you CS majors at that point?
A: I was undecided at that point, but yes leaning, but then did this for the sumemr
A: CS was designed for non-majors, and requirement for programmers
A: I teach at Carleton College and we had a class that was designed for jrs and srs, but this is something
that works well as a recruiting class, getting people more interested in the major that is not the traditional
programming class. I am really excited about this.