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Open Source Software to Enhance the STEM Learning Environment

Open Source Software to Enhance the STEM Learning Environment

Maurice Dawson, Imad Al Saeed, Jorja Wright, Festus Onyegbula
Copyright: © 2014 |Pages: 12
ISBN13: 9781466660465|ISBN10: 1466660465|EISBN13: 9781466660472
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6046-5.ch042
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MLA

Dawson, Maurice, et al. "Open Source Software to Enhance the STEM Learning Environment." Handbook of Research on Education and Technology in a Changing Society, edited by Viktor Wang, IGI Global, 2014, pp. 569-580. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6046-5.ch042

APA

Dawson, M., Al Saeed, I., Wright, J., & Onyegbula, F. (2014). Open Source Software to Enhance the STEM Learning Environment. In V. Wang (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Education and Technology in a Changing Society (pp. 569-580). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6046-5.ch042

Chicago

Dawson, Maurice, et al. "Open Source Software to Enhance the STEM Learning Environment." In Handbook of Research on Education and Technology in a Changing Society, edited by Viktor Wang, 569-580. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2014. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6046-5.ch042

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Abstract

This chapter examines the use of Open Source Software (OSS) technologies that can be used to improve the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Explored are the various methods that can be utilized to improve the percentage of STEM majors in the American educational system with resources such as: Open Source as Alternative (OSALT), virtualization, cloud computing, Linux distributions, open source programming, and open source hardware platforms. Increasing the amount of students that pursue STEM majors is important because the projected job growth in the STEM field compared to non-STEM jobs is 33%. OSALT provides cost-effective alternatives to commercial products such as Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Photoshop. Second, creating Virtual Machines (VMs) is another avenue to teach complex concepts in computer science, engineering, and Information Technology (IT). Third, cloud computing is an inexpensive way for clients to access information from multiple locations and devices. Fourth, universities can use the Operating System (OS) Linux and its various distributions as replacements for commercial operating systems like Windows in order to reduce IT costs. Lastly, open source programming languages like Python and their associated Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) provide comprehensive facilities for software engineers for application development or testing.

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